Northern Ireland set for ‘summer of discontent’ as living costs surge

Northern Ireland is facing a “summer of discontent”, a senior trade union official has warned as strike action linked to the soaring cost-of-living disrupts frontline services.
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School transport, meals and council services such as bin collections have been disrupted by strike action.

The action by the Unite trade union is set to last all week, as members demand pay increases for workers employed by councils, the Northern I relandHousing Executive, the Education Authority and schools to keep pace with the sharp inflation putting pressure on household bills.

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Members of the University and Colleges Union at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, meanwhile, began five consecutive days of strike action yesterday where pay was also a major issue.

University and College Union (UCU) workers and supporters on a picket line at Queens University Belfast. Picture date: Monday March 21, 2022.University and College Union (UCU) workers and supporters on a picket line at Queens University Belfast. Picture date: Monday March 21, 2022.
University and College Union (UCU) workers and supporters on a picket line at Queens University Belfast. Picture date: Monday March 21, 2022.

And several unions have recently announced ballots that could lead to strike action in several sectors, over pay rates and the rising cost-of-living.

A ballot of Translink members was announced last week that could, if members of the GMB and Unite unions opt for strike action, bring public transport to a standstill.

GMB official Alan Perry, speaking to the News Letter on Monday, said discontent is widespread as he warned public sector workers from a range of unions would be “stepping up our campaigns” around the pay dispute and “cannot rule out future industrial action”.

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Asked if Northern Ireland is now heading into a summer of discontent, Mr Perry said: “If I’m being honest, I would say yes. I’ve no doubt, given the general feeling across the board, the cost of living, everything, that now I think we have a common goal across the board and I think we will see more and more.

“I know, from the GMB’s perspective, that across the water [in Great Britain] they’ve had more industrial action ballots this year than they’ve had in the past number of years.

“I have no doubt that, across the board, that’s the direction of travel we’re heading in.”

The NASUWT teaching union, meanwhile, has also agreed to ballot members for industrial action in a dispute over pay, workload and conditions.

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The Education Authority (EA), meanwhile, has said around 300 school bus routes face disruption from the ongoing Unite strike action.

The EA said special schools, where pupils can usually avail of ‘yellow buses’ directly to and from their home, would be particularly affected.

One special school, Glenveagh in Belfast, called off in-person classes on Monday as it was “unable to safely provide face-to-face teaching and support”.

At Belfast City Hall, council worker John Moore said workers needed a 10% pay increase to make up for past pay freezes and rising living costs.

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He suggested that politicians, rather than frontline workers, take effective pay cuts.

“We’re here today because of the 1.75% pay rise that was offered to us last year. It was a slap in the face,” he said.

“1.75% doesn’t cut it, 1.25%, they’ll take it off us next month in national insurance and we would hope to get at least 10% to make it liveable for ourselves and the knock-on effect to our families.

“The local councils and the Government at Westminster need to listen to the people, the low paid frontline working class people on the ground.

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“This is a slap in the face. We worked through a pandemic, we didn’t get anything for that, and now a 1.75% pay rise is totally unacceptable, it is another pay cut. In the last 10-11 years we’re about 22% behind.

“We have to live as well, our families have to live. We have mortgages to pay, bills to pay, energy prices are going through the roof, food bills are going through the roof.

“We would like the Government to listen to us. Maybe if they themselves at Westminster would take a pay cut instead of making the low paid frontline staff who are in hardship at the moment be forced to take pay cuts.”

Michael Pierse, a senior lecturer in English Literature at Queen’s University, and a member of the University and College Union (UCU), said the pension had been “decimated”.

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“We’re on strike for other reasons too. Wages have gone down in the region of 20% since 2009. Conditions generally have been getting worse but the pensions issue is the straw that has broken the camel’s back.”