School bus services again impacted by public sector strike action

Around 800 members of the Unite union, including bus drivers, classroom assistants, caterers and cleaning staff, are involved in more prolonged industrial action which resulted in many school bus services being cancelled.

In an online update on Thursday, the Education Authority NI (EANI) said around 150 services had been affected right across Northern Ireland, including many special educational needs school buses.

It said: “We are expecting significant disruption to the transport service due to hazardous travel conditions and strike action on Friday 19 January 2024”.

As well as publishing details of a helpline phone number the EANI said: “Every effort will be made to ensure that schools and parents will be notified as soon as possible of any decision that will impact their child’s scheduled service. However, some services may be disrupted at such short notice that advance notification is not possible.

"Parents/carers are encouraged to make alternative transport arrangements as appropriate.”

In a further update after 5pm, the EANI said that no disruption was expected on Monday, January 22.

Roads Sevice gritter drivers are also on strike until Wednesday, although the snow and ice that caused much concern on Thursday has given way to more wet and windy conditions.

Workers in the Forestry Service have also remained on strike.

Unite has described the eight-day walkout involving school staff as an “escalation of ongoing industrial dispute seeking implementation of a pay and grading review”.

The union has argued that the review is “needed to ensure staff retention”.GMB union official Alan Perry said that strike involving gritter lorry drivers was continuing because the dispute with management involves the separate issues pay, and a productivity bonus he said was "completely outdated and wrong".

The main transport unions were expected to meet on Friday to discuss who the industrial action will be carried on in the coming weeks.

Following the mass stoppage on Thursday, former NI health minister Jim Wells said he was “very disappointed” at what he described as the damage being done to the NHS.

“I believe they have a democratic right to withdraw their labour in a pay dispute,” he said.“But I also believe they have to be wise when they choose to make their point, and it should be at a time when it has less of an impact on the innocent people here, who are the patients waiting for procedures. I find that very disappointing.”

Many workplaces were left deserted as members of up to 16 trade unions joined the stoppage.

With the DUP continuing its boycott of the powersharing NI Executive, the unions were calling on Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to intervene and authorise the public sector pay increases.

However, Mr Heaton-Harris has so far refused – saying any dispute over public sector pay is a devolved matter.