Education Authority workers vote overwhelmingly to take strike action to demand implementation of a pay & grading review

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Unite members working in the Education Authority vote 94% for strike action and 96% for action short of strike action

Ballot follows Department of Education inability to fund pay & grading business case due to punitive budget set by Secretary of State

Unite the union members working for the Education Authority have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over the failure to implement a pay and grading review offered as a alternative to the very poor pay increase for the 2021-2022 year. The union has lodged notice for seven days of strike action commencing from Thursday 15th June.

The strike will involve more than 700 workers and result in significant disruption at schools across Northern Ireland. Unite’s membership includes school bus drivers, escorts and maintenance workers, catering staff, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, school administrative staff, cleaners, building supervisors and ground maintenance staff.

The ballot was taken in response to the failure of the Department of Education to fund a pay and grading review in which Unite the union had engaged at the invitation of the Education Authority. In engaging with that process, the union brought to an end a campaign of industrial action for a pay increase by education authority workers in 2022.

The pay and grading review reached a consensus on a business case which would see significant increases to the pay of Education Authority workers; however, when it was submitted to the Department of Education by the Education Authority it has not been implemented – primarily as a result of the punitive budget set for the Department by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The General Secretary of Unite the union, Sharon Graham, challenged the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to provide funding to redress the low pay of education workers.

“Chris Heaton-Harris has set a completely inadequate budget for Northern Ireland’s public services. He has left education workers with no alternative but to strike to defend themselves.

“It is totally unacceptable that a pay and grading review will be denied to Unite the union members as a result of a punitive budget set by the Secretary of State. The Education Authority workers can be guaranteed the full support Unite in their fight for decent wages and to safeguard education services in Northern Ireland.”

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Unite supports proposed legislation to end age-based Minimum Wage discrimination

Posted on June 8, 2023 by unitetheunion

Bill would help tackle exploitation of young workers

Trade union Unite, which represents workers in all sectors, today (Thursday) called on TDs from all parties to back the National Minimum Wage (Equal Pay for Young Workers) Bill 2022.  The legislation, which is due to be debated in the Dail on Wednesday 14 June, would abolish age-related sub-minimum rates of pay for young workers.

Commenting, Unite Youth Ireland chair Sam Galvin said:

“Nearly 50 years after the principle of equal pay for equal work was enshrined in Irish legislation, there is no justification for a worker being paid less than their colleague doing the same job purely on the basis of age.

“Sub-minimum wage rates don’t just discriminate against the young workers directly affected.  They also facilitate a race to the bottom – for example, by encouraging employers to allocate additional hours to young workers earning below the standard Minimum Wage, while withdrawing hours from older workers.

“Depressing the terms and conditions of one group of workers impacts on all workers.

“Unite is urging TDs of all parties to support this legislation.

“We need to get this Bill passed and then focus on the battle for full union recognition and collective bargaining legislation – because that is the best way to raise wages for all workers”, Mr Galvin concluded.

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Unite the union – Community Practioners and Health Visitors Association NI hosts its first conference since the pandemic

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Unite the union NI

The Community Practitioner and Health Visitor Association (CPHVA) NI is to host it’s first conference since the pandemic under the theme of ‘Rebuilding Communities: A public health conference celebrating 75 years of the NHS’ at Toomebridge on Friday [9th June 2023]. The CPHVA is a trade union and professional body for community health care staff in the UK and Ireland and part of Unite the Union.

The event will be open to the CPHVA’s membership and non-members which includes health visitors, school nurses, community nursery nurses and community nurses working in primary care.

The event brings together a range of speakers on key public health issues of interest to Community Practitioners and Health Vistors. Speaking at the event will be: Sonia Glendinning, Nursing Officer for the PHA NI, on ‘Shaping the Future of Public Health Nursing’; Kevin McArevey, Head of Holy Cross Primary School on the ‘Plato Initiative’; Jim Gamble, CEO Ineqe Safeguarding about Online Safeguarding; Fran O’Boyle of Women’s Aid on Domestic Violence; Louise Herron, Public Health Consultant on ‘Vaccination update report’; Siobhan Slavin, PHA, on ‘Enhanced School Nursing Project’; Jill Delaney, Positive Steps, on ‘Restorative Supervision’; and Stephen Hamilton, QUB, on ‘Health & Mental Well-being’.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the conference’s focus:

“Unite the union welcomes this great initiative to mark 75 years of your NHS and to make plans for the future, especially the development of services in the community. In that way the CPHVA conference will mark our history looking to the past but also look to the development of future services and the determination to fight to save the NHS today.”

Addressing the conference will be the chair of the CPHVA NI Committee Dorothy Murray, CPHVA Executive Janet Taylor and Unite Regional Secretary for Ireland Susan Fitzgerald.

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Striking workers attend first meeting of newly-elected Belfast City Council to raise need for inflation-proof pay increases

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Unite the union delegation demands politicians take the side of workers in coming strike wave

Striking Survitec workers protest at the factory gates

A delegation from Unite the union, including striking workers at the Dunmurry-based manufacturer Survitec, has addressed the first meeting of the newly-elected Belfast City Council [last night, 5th June].

The delegation warned councillors of an impending wave of strikes across Belfast as workers were forced to take strike action to win inflation-proof pay increases. The union has just confirmed that workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites has voted by 100% on a 100% turnout for strike action on pay as well.

Unite the union General Secretary Sharon Graham congratulated the striking Survitec workers on their initiative.

“It is vital that workers speak truth to power. The members of Belfast City Council from all parties need to get behind workers as they fight for inflation-proof pay increases. It is not enough to sit on the sidelines and encourage negotiations – we need to see political representatives taking the side of workers. 

“The current cost of living crisis is the worst in generations but the inflation in costs has not been caused by workers fighting for decent wages The real culprits are big businesses who have been profiteering literally as never before. Workers cannot and will not pay the price for this crisis.” 

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Workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites vote unanimously for strike action for pay increase

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Unite the union NI

Unite industrial ballot return at leading UK composite manufacturer was 100% for strike action on a 100% turnout

Workers at Creative Composites, the UK’s leading advanced production composite manufacturer based in Lisburn, have voted unanimously on a 100% turnout to take strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase.

The ballot was held after workers rejected an insulting pay offer of a bare 4.5% tied to the increase in the bare legal minimum wage. The workforce at Creative Composites is low-paid despite the highly-skilled nature of their employment and the fact that the company sells components to leading vehicle manufacturers. 

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham pledged her support for the workforce in their fight to win a cost of living pay increase.

“That one hundred percent of Unite members at Creative Composites voted for strike action on a one hundred percent turnout tells you everything you need to know about the determination of these workers to win a cost of living pay increase. The workforce’s wages have been suppressed by the employer for too long; they have had enough. They prepare for strike action knowing they can count on my full support and that of Unite in their fight.

“The employer needs to reflect on the strength of feeling exhibited by this result. They need to return to negotiations with a pay increase that provides real protection to their employees in the midst of what is the worst cost of living crisis in generations.”

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Posted in Campaign for Decent Pay, Living Wage, Manufacturing, Northern Ireland news, Press Releases | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment