Union strikes: Workers at Derry City and Strabane District Council end strike action after winning double pay point increase

The news comes on the same day that workers at Lisburn and Castlereagh begin their action, as part of a unified push for better pay across all local authorities and the wider public sector.

Unite the union says its members at Derry and Strabane voted to accept an improved pay offer by a 63 percent majority to accept an improved offer from management and end their industrial dispute with their employer.

Unite says management at the council made a substantially improved pay offer to avoid a return of strike action which had struck council activities earlier in the year.

The pay deal includes a one-off payment of £500 and a fully consolidated two pay point increase worth approximately five percent – on top of the wider National Joint Council pay improvement, the union said.

Derry City and Strabane now becomes the second council in Northern Ireland, after Mid Ulster District Council, to have resolved the 2021-22 pay dispute with a significantly improved pay offer including a two pay point increase plus cash, Unite added.

Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham congratulated her union’s membership at Derry City and Strabane District Council on a substantial pay win:

“Derry City and Strabane workers have won a considerable pay offer over the bare 1.75 percent pay increase offered nationally.

“This is now the second council in Northern Ireland where workers have won a decent pay increase through strike action. Unite the union is delivering on our promise to defend the jobs, pay and conditions of our members.”

Lead regional officer for Unite for local authorities, Gareth Scott, also welcomed the conclusion of the pay dispute.

“Council workers continued to work throughout the pandemic to ensure basic services for the public were maintained – sadly these workers were left with no option but to strike to win a decent pay increase,” he said. “Strike action is always a last resort and no worker enters into it lightly. This pay improvement demonstrates the unity and strength of our membership in Derry City and Strabane and this will stand our members in good stead going forward.”

A spokeswoman for Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that it has received notification that both main unions representing staff, UNITE and NIPSA are accepting the council’s pay offer. Welcoming the ballot result, she thanked everyone involved in successfully reaching “a positive and agreed outcome to the process”, adding that the council remains “committed to good communication and engagement with all unions on all staff issues going forward”.

Meanwhile, strike action by 200 workers began today at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. Unite said that the decision was taken after the breakdown of talks involving all three representative trade unions, Unite, GMB and NIPSA.

Unite noted that a pay dispute continues at nine of the eleven councils, the NI Housing Executive, Education Authority and other education providers over the 2021-2022 NJC pay award.

Unite, GMB and NIPSA members are striking at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council where Unite is into its second week of a four week planned strike. At Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Unite members have today commenced an all-out strike and GMB are balloting their members with a view to joining that action.