Unions submit 12.7% council pay claim

This follows a lengthy campaign of industrial action by council workers across Northern Ireland last year that resulted in rubbish piling up in some areas and widespread disruption to routine services.

Unison, the GMB and Unite say a “significant” award is vital after years of local authority spending cuts and pay restraint.

The claim, which would apply from the start of April, is for council employees to receive a wage rise of 12.7%.

The unions argue that council employees, including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers, cleaners and catering staff, deserve better pay and working conditions for providing vital community services.

In their submission to employers, the unions said staff working in local government have seen 25% cut from the value of their pay since 2010.

Unite national officer Clare Keogh said: “The time for excuses is over. Local government workers have seen their wages plummet colossally in real terms in the last dozen years. Combined with the cost-of-living crisis, workers are struggling to survive financially.”

Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis and its knock-on impact on industrial relations continues to be felt in other sectors.

The Royal College of Midwives is now recommending that its Northern Ireland members vote to join the strike action taken by several other unions in recent months.

The union opened a formal ballot on pay on Tuesday, which is set to close on March 7.

Karen Murray, the RCM’s Director for Northern Ireland, said: “I cannot overstate the frustration and disappointment of our members on the totally inadequate pay offer imposed upon them. It is yet another real terms pay cut and comes after years of pay freezes and pay stagnation and now with inflation sitting in double-figures our members are feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis."

Nipsa, meanwhile, is to escalate its industrial action short of a strike in the Northern Ireland health service on Wednesday - alongside half a million workers across the UK taking industrial action on February 1.

Deputy general secretary Pádraig Mulholland said: “NIPSA members in the health service are increasing their industrial action at the same time as our sister unions are striking across the UK.”