are to join nurses in taking strike action on 6 February in what will be the biggest NHS walkout in this dispute. last took part in a one-day strike in December. Thousands of health and education workers are on strike in Northern Ireland today. The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 percent vote for strike. Roads Service workers pay is dependent on a productivity-based payment which is subject to the determination of managers. Members of multiple trade unions were present at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday morning, Health workers Orlaigh Sewell (left) and Lisa Heaney (middle) gathered outside Belfast City Hall, In Omagh, workers gathered outside the courthouse as strikes continue, Teaching staff across Northern Ireland walked out until midday, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. While Stormont remains in limbo, she said that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his ministers were missing in action and called on them to make a realistic pay offer. A further day of strike action will now take place on March 16. Civil servants have been placed in the unenviable position that they're having to implement decisions that they're not paid to do. "While these people make the bread, they also have to buy it," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme. Read about our approach to external linking. Advertisement Coins. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hope or Austerity: A Road Map for a Better Fairer Ireland after the Pandemic, Available from all good bookshops or online from www.theliffeypress.com, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Overwhelming 93 per cent vote for industrial action at Cargotec in fake TUPEdispute, Thousands of Unite health members to join Northern Ireland-wide strike in demand for fair wages and safestaffing. Unison RVH Branch secretary Conor McCarthy said the union was calling for direct negotiations with the British government. Unite has notified the employer that . Leo Varadkar was speaking as speculation mounts that a deal may be . An estimated 200,000 teachers in England and Wales will take part in three days of industrial action as their dispute over pay continues. In a show of solidarity for striking education workers, health workers will take part in a march to Belfast City Hall and at other rallies across Northern Ireland. (LogOut/ This union will not accept any attempt to undermine our members terms and conditions now or in the future. Their action on 15 March, which is budget day, is likely to coincide with a strike by PCS union members in the civil service and other public sector workers, taking the number of civil servants . Re-export of Products of Animal Origin of European Union or Northern Ireland origin back to the European Union or Northern Ireland after storage in Great Britain: certificate 8461 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) POAO imported into GB from the EU that undergoes further processing and is exported to the EU as a new product. TENS of thousands of teachers launched three days of strike action today in their continuing battle for fair pay and funding for schools. Unite members across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service returned an . Staff at the plant are seeking a 13.4% . The Unite Union, which represents around 4,000 health. As with all health service strikes, Unites members will be providing emergency cover during the period of the strike. The first strike will occur for the four day production period on Monday 11 April and be followed up the week after Easter with a further four day stoppage on 25 April. Workers, including ambulance service workers, are fighting for a fair pay rise and urgent action to avert an ` existential crisis' in the service. Workers, including ambulance service workers, are fighting for a fair pay rise and urgent action to avert an `existential crisisin the service. Under trade union law, emergency cover will still be provided and staff can leave the picket lines to attend. Read about our approach to external linking. Workers, including ambulance service workers, Continue reading Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to show leadership: If proof were needed of the determination of NHS workers to fight for a better deal its here in the 87 per cent vote recorded in the Trusts in Northern Ireland. Strike action by the union was scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday, as well as 23 and 24 February. The local council . Workers of Unite the union have voted by a margin of more than 95 percent for strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase at Hovis, the leading Belfast Bakery. In the absence of action to address our members pay claim, we have been left with no alternative but to notify employers of strike action.. Bus drivers with Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 561 have been . In December, Unite members voted with an average 87 percent majority across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for strike action. BBC News NI has contacted Hovis for comment. More than two hundreds Unite members employed by the Roads Service of Northern Ireland will be joining with colleagues in the GMB in taking strike action for a week commencing Monday 27th February. Valheim . "Everybody's speaking with a clear voice here today, everybody's saying the same thing. 0 coins. Fionnuala McTaggart, who has been teaching in north Belfast for three years, said there has been a noticeable increase in her workload that can be "really overwhelming at times". As we approach February, unions, including teaching unions, are planning a joint hit. "It's not this easy job that people make it out to be, you're not just out colouring with kids all day, you're doing real work that's hard and meaningful and important," she told BBC News NI. It said that in some front-line social work teams 42% of posts are unfilled, leaving staff with "unsustainable caseloads". Special school transport faces strike disruption "These employers need to. Comment. Unite says it is determined to ensure workers pay and conditions do not come under attack, Action at Dundalk facility set to start on 10 March. Our members will be joining members of other health trade unions on the picket lines tomorrow, and Unite has already notified employers that we will also be taking action on 16, 17, 23 and 24 February. Alan Philson, a nurse in Londonderry and Unite representative, told BBC Radio Foyle healthcare workers "can't deliver the care without investment". Members of the Royal College of Midwives are currently. Finland's Transport Workers' Union AKT said wage negotiations chaired by the national conciliator would continue on Monday to try and avoid an expansion of strike action scheduled for Wednesday. Two meetings of Council staff were held last week in Newry and Downpatrick, hosted by the four trade unions representing workers of all grades NIPSA, SIPTU, GMB and Unite. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak struck a new deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland on Monday, saying it would pave the way for a new chapter in London's . They mustget on and do so without delay.. Every day they put their shoulder to the wheel and go above and beyond for patients and the public needing health care. The workers feel that management have weaponised the bonus scheme, a situation which is intolerable. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Under trade union law, emergency cover will still be provided and staff can leave the picket lines to attend. She said Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris should be in Northern Ireland "talking about the crisis in our health service". Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The Cargotec workers have Unites full and unstinting support in this battle to defend their jobs., Union warns of `existential crisis for health service as NI wages fall further behind. Unite the union announced six new strikes for ambulance workers over the next two months More days of strikes by ambulance workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been announced. For health and public service unions Unite, Unison, Nipsa and GMB it was further action in a pay dispute. The PM and ministers have been missing in actionbut it istheirjob to ensure that NHS bosses make a realistic offer to the workers who keep our health and social care services running. (LogOut/ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hope or Austerity: A Road Map for a Better Fairer Ireland after the Pandemic, Available from all good bookshops or online from www.theliffeypress.com, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). N. egotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol are "inching towards conclusion", the Irish Taoiseach has indicated. Subsequent strike dates which Unite has notified to employers are February 16 and 17, and February 23 and 24. Email: barckley.sumner@unitetheunion.org He said that ambulance staff will be among those taking part in the strike. The statement added that members were not only taking action over pay but in protest at staffing levels and travel reimbursement. Workers in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council have lost trust and confidence in the NDMDC Chief Executive Marie Ward, and are commencing a new ballot for refreshed industrial action, up to and including strike action, after management at the Council have neglected to honour a deal agreed in 2022. Standing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a news conference in Windsor, Sunak said the two sides . 2023 BBC. Lead regional officer for roads service workers Gareth Scott explained the context for the strike: Our members in Roads Service are dependent on the allocation of productivity-based duties in order to make bonus, which leaves them subject to potentially less favourable treatment from managers. It is now clear that this bonus scheme is broken beyond repair and Managements refusal to integrate this productivity mechanism into payscales has left the workforce with no alternative but to take strike action. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:Unites members overwhelmingvotefor strike actionsignals their determination tosecurea cost of living pay increase and safe staffing for patients. Cargotec is a successful multinational, generating over 4 billion in revenue during 2022. Secondly, it was decided to carry out a ballot for industrial action, to include both action short of a strike as well as strike action. It is understood union representatives are to meet the Department of Education later this week for further talks. The Unite union, which represents healthcare staff in Northern Ireland, has moved a planned strike to coincide with industrial action by teachers. The strike is a result of the failure to deliver a cost of living pay increase. Two waves of strike action already taken place in Northern Ireland so far, with strikes in December including members of the Royal College of Nursing. "Our aim is to disrupt the administration of the service, not to disrupt the patients but obviously it will impact to some extent," he said. "I'm pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough," Sunak said . Health workers in the Nipsa and Unison trade unions will also be taking part in. "This a national dispute which is only resolvable at national level. BBC First ballot results. 27 Feb 2023 10:54:04 Workers were told they would get a 2022-23 pay award of 1,400, but unions said this would not settle the dispute as it was lower than inflation. In the recent year roads workers at some hubs have taken strike action over allegations of bullying and harassment and are now seeking to close down a mechanism which potentially leaves them subject to victimization by managers. Teachers were joined at a number of rallies across Northern Ireland by striking workers from the health unions. The PM and ministers have been missing in actionbut it istheirjob to ensure that NHS bosses make a realistic offer to the workers who keep our health and social care services running. In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, the responsibility for resolving this disputefalls tothe UK government. 12 weeks for 12. "Trust workers have been forced to resort to food banks and take on additional shifts/second jobs," the union said in a statement. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Roads Service maintenance workers out on the picket lines across Northern Ireland this morning as a week of strike action commences! Workers at Newry, Mourne & Down District Council prepare to return to industrial action for fairtreatment. Striking teachers hold a rally . They mustget on and do so without delay., Hope or Austerity: A Road Map for a Better Fairer Ireland after the Pandemic, Available from all good bookshops or online from www.theliffeypress.com, Hovis workforce votes overwhelmingly for industrial action in pursuit of cost of living payincrease. The Windsor Framework seeks to reset the fractious relationship between London and Brussels stemming from the Northern Ireland Protocol, the mechanism for preventing a hard border on the island of . The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a . While there has always been a sense of general fed up-ness, the mood is much more discontented - making staff even more determined. In January, 20,000 healthcare staff in Northern Ireland, including ambulance staff and nurses, took part in a one-day strike as part of a dispute over pay. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. "I have a warning for the government, we're not finished, we're not going anywhere, we have just started," she added. 4000 Unite members to strike on 26 January, February 16 ,17 and 23, 24. On Tuesday, the union said its members working for BBC England had backed industrial action over the proposals, with 83% voting in favour of strikes, and 92% voting in support of action short of a strike, with a 69% turnout rate. The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 percent vote for strike. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham pledged her unions full support for the Roads Service workers: No worker should be subject to bullying and harassment in their place of work. 3 min. Unite lead representative for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) Norman Cunningham said stalemate at Stormont is not helping to resolve the issues. Teachers are staging a 12-hour strike, due to end at midday, in a dispute over pay and the future of the profession. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:Unites members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and rejected the governments derisory pay offer, which is a real terms pay cut. Last month, around 20,000 healthcare staff in Northern Ireland took also took part in a one day strike. Required fields are marked *. The Pharmaceutical Journal The workers seek changes to their terms and conditions meaning the integration of a productivity bonus into their payscales. Northern Ireland representative Kevin McAdam said 87% of Unite's members had rejected. Over the past year NHS staff, rail workers, teachers, postmen and others have all taken strike action demanding better pay and conditions amid the cost-of-living crisis. If and when the strikes will end is unclear. "This is the only way we can get our message through to government regionally and nationally.". Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Road Workers demand productivity payment be integrated into payscales to remove potential mechanism for pay victimization. More than two hundreds Unite members employed by the Roads Service of Northern Ireland will be joining with colleagues in the GMB in taking strike action for a week commencing Monday 27th February. unless the union has a strike fund to cover wages. Road Workers demand productivity payment be integrated into payscales to remove potential mechanism for pay victimization. These strikes are being taken as an absolute last resort. "We're not going to be down the same track again in another three or four years' time," he said. Unite members across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service returned an average 87 per cent vote in favour of strike action. Workers were told they would get a 2022-23 pay award of 1,400, but unions said this would not settle the dispute as it was lower than inflation. Trusts have been in contact with patients who will be affected and further details are available on trusts' websites. The strike follows ballot across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service which returned an average 87 per cent vote in favour of strike action. They said ambulances would still be available but patients with less clinically urgent needs could face long delays. The dispute follows the companys refusal to engage meaningfully at the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court regarding their proposal to transfer workers under what Unite describes as a fake TUPE, meaning established jobs, pay and conditions could come under future attack. As a result, there will be a reduced level . The union representing transit operators in the Fraser Valley plans to significantly escalate its job action on Monday. The workers seek changes to their terms and conditions meaning the integration of a productivity bonus into their payscales. HOT. Unite regional officer Sean McKeever said emergency talks were planned for Wednesday morning in an attempt to resolve the dispute. For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067. Read about our approach to external linking. Strike action: What do rail workers, nurses and others want? Workers at the Hovis factory in South Belfast are set to . The strike pickets will be established at 8am on Monday 27 February and will last seven days and affect roads maintenance work across Northern Ireland. Nipsa, which has more than 10,000 members, some of whom are nurses, said wages had been "progressively eroded through below inflation pay-rises and pay freezes". They also have to keep members' morale up and the public on board. Change). 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