Newry, Mourne and Down council staff to strike after ‘last minute talks’ collapse

Council staff in Newry, Mourne and Down are to begin strike action tomorrow, it has been announced.
Newry, Mourne and Down council signNewry, Mourne and Down council sign
Newry, Mourne and Down council sign

Trade unions say last-minute talks collapsed.

The dispute centres on pay.

A joint statement from the Unite, NIPSA, SIPTU and GMB unions, sought to blame management for what they described as the “avoidable” strike action.

“The trade unions engaged with the council management team in last minute and intense talks mediated by the Labour Relations Agency to seek a resolution to this dispute,” a trade union spokesperson said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“While some progress was made in relation to job evaluation, job descriptions and a timetable for the completion of the negotiations, we failed to secure what was needed in relation to pay equality.

“The dispute centres over how pay differences and disparities in terms and conditions inherited from legacy councils more than five years ago will be harmonised. Due to management delay in engaging with us on this issue, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is now the last remaining council to resolve it. The point in contention is that for those workers whose pay grades are re-evaluated upwards, they will lose all pay progression accrued and will start at the bottom of the new grades.

“This is not acceptable to our members – it is a pay equality issue. While senior management have dragged their heels in dealing with pay harmonisation for lower paid workers, they agreed and have benefited from their own regrading years ago. We are just asking for some recognition of our members’ contribution since the establishment of the new council.”

The statement continued: “As a result of management intransigence on this issue, we have been left with no alternative but to proceed with the first day of industrial action planned for tomorrow. Even at this late stage it is not too late for management to avert this avoidable strike action by addressing our members’ legitimate concerns and we call on them to do so.”