New billboards tell Starmer ‘Don’t sell us Short’

Posted on June 26, 2025 by unitetheunion

Campaign highlights workers’ jobs plan for Northern Ireland aerospace landmark

Government must broker a deal between Airbus and Bombardier to secure NI jobs and skills

New billboards are being rolled out across Northern Ireland this week telling Keir Starmer to back the plan for jobs developed by workers at the iconic Shorts enterprise in Northern Ireland. The plan has been developed to secure jobs and skills and avoid a carve-up of Shorts following Boeing’s acquisition of Shorts parent company Spirit and the decision by Airbus to only take over its own production lines in Belfast.

The workers are clear that Shorts needs to be kept as a single entity to ensure its long-term survival, and they have a plan for jobs to keep Shorts flying into the future.

The workers’ plan for jobs requires the UK government to broker a deal between Airbus and Bombardier to form a new joint venture. Both Airbus and Bombardier currently have production lines at the facility and should thus have an interest in Shorts’ continued successful operation.

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Tata Steel: Strike set to escalate tonight as management cancels scheduled talks

Posted on June 26, 2025 by unitetheunion

Pay freezes have left Tata workers at just over minimum wage

Unite has served Tata Steel with notice of five more days of strike action over the coming weeks following management’s decision to cancel scheduled talks on pay differentials.

The next strike action follows a 48-hour stoppage last week and will take place from 21:59 hours tonight (26 June 2025) until 22.01 on 30th June 2025. There will be another one-day stoppage starting 21.59 hrs on 10 July 2025, with further strike action from 21.59 on 24 July 2025 until 22.01 on 28 July.

The strike action is in addition to the continuous ban on overtime and work to rule and the discontinuous strike action as set out in Notice of Action dated 11 June 2025.

The dispute surrounds the workers’ claim for restoration of pay differentials eroded as a result of pay freezes in recent years.

Tata workers in Northern Ireland are paid at or just above the statutory minimum, earning less than workers in Britain.

Management’s last-minute decision to cancel talks scheduled for Tuesday means that the industrial action will proceed as notified. 

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Strikes at Tata Steel as Northern Ireland workers seek pay decency

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Unite the union NI

HGV drivers, crane operators employed by Tata steel at its Lisburn site only paid minimum wage 

Workers employed by Tata Steel will commence an initial 48-hour strike at 08:00 tomorrow [Wednesday 18 June]. The industrial action follows a 100 per cent ballot for strike action. The majority of the approximately 30 person workforce.

Unite is requiring a pay deal that restores pay differentials which have all but disappeared due to low-pay rates being overtaken by increases to the national minimum wage. Tata workers employed at its Northern Ireland site are among the lowest paid by the company in the UK. HGV drivers and process and machine operators, who can use cranes onsite, are paid at or just above the national minimum.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “It is disgraceful that skilled workers are only paid the minimum wage. Tata is a hugely wealthy company that can fully afford to pay its workers fairly. 

“In taking this strike action for pay decency, the Tata Steel workers in Lisburn can count on the full backing of Unite.”

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Stormont must ensure health and safety legislation keeps pace with reality of climate change

Posted on June 16, 2025 by unitetheunion

Unite launches ‘extreme weather’ policy demands

Trade union Unite launched its Workers in the Eye of the Storm report in Stormont’s Long Gallery this afternoon (Monday 16 June). The report details the results of a survey of Unite members on their experiences during Storm Éowyn and presents a range of legislative proposals to protect workers from the impact of extreme weather events.

The launch was sponsored by MLAs Philip Brett and Emma Sheerin and chaired by Unite regional women’s committee chair Gaye Partridge.

In addition to the sponsoring MLAs, speakers included economy minister Caoimhe Archibald, Clare Moore of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Mark Campbell, father of Unite member Matthew Campbell who was killed while working in Slieve Gullion forest during Storm Ali in 2018.

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Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald to address launch of Unite ‘Extreme Weather’ demands at Stormont

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Unite the union NI

Event co-sponsored by Philip Brett MLA and Emma Sheerin MLA

Economy minister Caoimhe Archibald will speak at the launch of Unite’s ‘Extreme Weather’ survey results and policy demands in Stormont next week.  The launch will also be addressed by event sponsors Philip Brett MLA (Democratic Unionist Party) and Emma Sheerin MLA (Sinn Féin).

When: Monday 16 June 14:30

Where: Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont

(Photos of the event will be made available on request)

Speakers will include Irish Congress of Trade Unions health and safety officer Claire Moore and Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald.

The event will also hear from a representative of the family of Unite member Matthew Campbell, who was killed while working during Storm Ali in 2018.

1225 Unite members across Northern Ireland responded to a survey conducted following Storm Éowyn. Their experiences during the storm inform the policy proposals which Unite will be launching on 16 June.

These include:

– A statutory obligation on employers to conduct extreme weather risk assessments

– Graduated alert-based responses, with all non-essential work to cease during ‘red’ alerts

– A legal requirement for wages to continue being paid during weather-related closures

– Up to four days’ paid climate leave, based on the Spanish precedent

– Statutory maximum working temperatures.

ENDS

For further information contact Donal O’Cofaigh (press office), Tel. 07810 157926

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