Strike at another Northern Ireland council begins today

The Unite trade union said on Wednesday that its members in the council area will be moving to continuous strike action, starting today, after a pay deal was vetoed by councillors the night before — by a margin of just one vote.

Several councils across Northern Ireland remain in the midst of strike action, with the most severe industrial action to date in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area — which involves three trade unions — now well into the fourth week and set to continue into a fifth.

A special council meeting has been scheduled for next Wednesday in a bid to break the impasse.

And there is ongoing strike action by Unite members in the Lisburn and Castlereagh area, where they could soon be joined by members in the GMB and Nipsa unions pending the outcome of a ballot that opens on Monday morning..

The Newry, Mourne and Down council is also at risk of following suit, with an official dispute havning now lodged ahead of a formal ballot that also opens on Monday involving several trade unions, including Nipsa, SIPTU andGMB.

Confirming their intention to begin immediate strike action from today onwards in the Causeway Coast and Glens, a spokesperson for the Unite trade union said: “Unite the union has confirmed that its members at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will commence continuous strike action at the local authority tomorrow [Thursday, September 7].

“The decision followed last night’s vote [September 6] at full council at which a proposal to settle the strike by offering two pay point increments and a lump sum to workers— similar to that provided in Derry City and Strabane and in Mid-Ulster District Councils — was voted down by a majority of one councillor.”

Gareth Scott, Unite’s regional officer for the council. expressed hope that other trade unions would now ballot their members to join the strike.

“We are hopeful that both Nipsa and GMB trade unions will now swiftly proceed to ballot their members and lend their strength to a joint strike action,” he said.

“Workers stand stronger when they stand together.”

GMB official Alan Perry, speaking to the News Letter, confirmed his union’s intention to follow suit and ballot members.

“It is our intention to ballot for industrial action in the Causeway Coast and Glens, yes, and we will communicate that formally very soon,” Mr Perry said.

The last time Unite took strike action in the Causeway council, there was disruption to bin collections but the impact was ueven as some areas endured more missed collections than others.

If the other trade unions join Unite on the pickets this time around, however, the impact is likely to be much more severe.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Residents should be aware that some Council services may be disrupted.

“While no bin collections can be guaranteed during the strike period, residents are asked to leave their bins out for collection.”