13/02/2004

Government threatens to discipline civil service strikers

The government has threatened to suspend any civil service worker who goes on strike in relation to the current pay dispute, it emerged today.

The threat relates to the current pay dispute which has resulted in two days of strike action in recent months.

In a statement, the Department for Social Development said it would suspend, without pay, "any member of staff who embarks on further industrial action that disrupts business and is in breach of the terms of their employment".

A spokesperson for the Department for Social Development said: "Some of the most vulnerable people in our society depend on the department’s services. Many customers, including those who are sick and people with disabilities, are unable to contact our offices because of the action by Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance members. Services to customers are being held to ransom and we cannot allow this to continue."

The warning comes a week after staff within the Social Security Agency and Child Support Agency went on strike over pay.

The action is the latest phase in a campaign of strikes aimed at pushing the government into improving pay despite an imposed pay package which will add 3.67% to the wage bill of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

However, union representatives for the workers say the package was already part of a pre-agreed increment and took no account of the rise in the cost of living.

(MB)

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