Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BENEFITS CHAOS OVER CIVIL SERVICE STRIKES
Anger grows among 23,000 public sector workers on pay and conditions
NORTHERN Ireland’s welfare claimants face a benefits delay crisis as civil servants take industrial action.
Unrest is growing among 23,000 public sector workers who are upset over pay and conditions.
NIPSA general secretary Alison Millar said: “Our members are very
angry. We do not want to impact on benefit claimants, however, we lodged our pay claim in the middle of September and we have had no substantive negotiations.
“If you submit a claim for employment and support allowance it will probably be sitting in a tray.
“The industrial unions and ourselves had an opening meeting with Sue Grey [Permanent Secretary Of Finance] and she said she didn’t want pay to drag on this year – yet from September 24 until now there have been no negotiations.
“We don’t have an offer – every meeting we turn up to we expect to get an offer and all the meetings have been cancelled either by the management side [three] or the trade union side [one].
“The latest excuse is this is now caught up in political talks.”
In 2017, workers were given a 1% rise against 3.58% inflation and in 2018, 1.25% when the cost of living rose by 2.48%. Neither increase was agreed by trade unions and both had to be backpaid to the previous August 1 because of an 11-month delay in the decision.
NIPSA said they were given the impression this would not happen again this year, yet almost six months after almost 23,000 staff were due to get a rise they are still waiting. As a result, around 26 staff at Department for Communities Mail Opening Units – based in Limavady and Coleraine – have been striking since December 23.
Two further NIPSA branches are now planning strikes on Thursday, Friday and Monday, while “further action is planned for later in January”.
Members in Department for Communities’ Child Maintenance Service at Great Victoria Street, Belfast are on strike from 7.30am until noon on Thursday and Friday.
Their colleagues in Employment Support Allowance at Lanyon House will follow suit on Monday from 7.15am to 10am – when new ESA claims won’t be processed.
The Department for Communities said: “The Child Maintenance Service delivers services for customers in Northern Ireland and GB on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions and has been working to minimise any potential disruption to customers.”
A Department of Finance spokesperson added: “Discussions with the unions will continue into the New Year and it’s hoped the 2019/20 pay offer will be made as soon as possible.”
The latest excuse is this is now caught up in political talks
ALISON MILLAR YESTERDAY