Council workers launch strike over pay as talks fail

UP to 1,000 workers in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council will go on strike today after last-minute talks to avoid industrial action collapsed.

All services except funerals and weddings will be affected from 6am as staff take to socially distanced picket lines at council offices and depots.

Areas affected include Newry, Newcastle, Kilkeel, Downpatrick, Newtownhamilton, Crossmaglen, Warrenpoint, Annalong, Strangford, Rostrevor, Saintfield and Ballynahinch.

In a joint trade union statement, Unite, the GMB, Nipsa and Siptu laid the blame for the “avoidable” industrial dispute at the feet of council management.

The unions said the row centred over how pay differences and disparities in terms and conditions inherited from legacy councils more than five years ago would be harmonised.

“Due to management delay in engaging with us on this issue, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is now the last remaining council to resolve it,” a spokesperson said.

“The point in contention is that for those workers whose pay grades are re-evaluated upwards, they will lose all pay progression accrued and will start at the bottom of the new grades. This is not acceptable to our members. It is a pay equality issue.”

The unions accused senior council management of having “dragged their heels in dealing with pay harmonisation for lower-paid workers”, while they themselves had “agreed and have benefited from their own regrading years ago”.

The council said it had presented proposals which would have meant all refuse collection employees being employed on the same pay grades.

“Under the proposals, refuse workers in the former Down District Council area would increase to pay scales matching those in the former Newry and Mourne District Council area,” it added.

“Acceptance of these proposals could (have seen) wages for refuse workers in Downpatrick increasing from December 1.

“The council’s management also agreed to negotiate on additional payments to refuse employees in both Newry and Downpatrick for the implementation of new refuse operating procedures and associated practices which would standardise working practices across the entire district.

“Pending negotiated agreement, existing practices and associated payments will remain unchanged.”

‘Bosses dragged their heels in dealing with this’