Staff At Lisburn & Castlereagh Council To Take Strike Action Over Pay

Staff at Lisburn & Castlereagh Council are also to take strike action after bosses failed to deliver a pay rise.

Unite the union has notified the council of continuous strike action starting on 06 September.

After the breakdown of talks involving all three representative trade unions, Unite, GMB and NIPSA, strike action is now set to proceed at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. Unite the union lodged confirmation that its approximately 200 members would commence continuous strike action starting on 06 September.

Unite has been seeking localized pay agreements with councils, the housing executive, the education authority and other education employers after the union rejected a national pay offer which failed to protect workers from the cost of living crisis. Industrial disputes which had saw extensive strikes at Mid-Ulster District Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council were ended after Unite members voted to accept a pay increase including a two pay point increase and a cash payment.

At other councils in Northern Ireland, strike actions are suspended to allow negotiations in order that management make suitable offers.

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is now set to join Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council where strike action is ongoing and involves all three representative trade unions.

Unite's General Secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support for the striking workers at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and said: "With retail price inflation now above 12 percent and forecast to rise to 18 percent by the end of the year – workers are organising to win pay increases that provide real protection against the cost of living crisis. Unite is fighting to win inflation-plus pay increases for many of our members in many workplaces.

"While bosses at other councils have moved to offer decent pay increases and end strike action – those at Lisburn and Castlereagh have failed to make any offer at all. This leaves the workers there with no option but to strike. The Unite members at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council can be confident that they have the full support of my union."