https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/dont-damage-peoples-livelihoods-this-christmas-translink-plea-as-three-further-days-of-strike-action-announced/a1321367425.html
Translink has issued a plea to unions not to ruin Christmas after confirmation of three more days of bus and rail strikes.
Unions representing Translink staff said all of the firm’s bus and rail services would be brought “to a standstill” on December 15, 16 and 22.
They are three of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Unions laid the blame at the feet of Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, claiming he has “engineered a pay crisis seeking to advance a political agenda”.
A 48-hour strike action is to commence from 12.01am on Friday December 15 and running into December 16 ending with a further 24-hour strike commencing a week later at 12.01am on Friday December 22.
The strikes halt all bus and rail services operated by Translink.
It is an escalation of an industrial dispute by public transport workers who took initial strike action on Friday December 1 as part of demands for a cost-of-living pay increase.
Translink warned the strike action risked affecting Christmas for many.
A Translink spokesperson said: “We are disappointed with this decision by our Union colleagues which will disrupt bus and rail services that so many of our passengers rely on particularly at this busy time of the year.
“We are fully committed to enter into pay negotiations once the budget issue has been resolved. The budget issue, which impacts on many public sector workers, needs to be resolved at the NI Executive level.
“We would urge our colleagues not to take this further action which will only exacerbate the financial pressures on Translink as well as impact local school children and damage the livelihoods of many businesses and their staff in the retail and hospitality sectors who depend on the busy Christmas period.”
A joint statement from Unite, GMB and Siptu said workers are facing a real terms pay cut of 11% due to the failure of Translink to offer workers a pay increase.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is completely unacceptable that Translink workers are facing a huge real terms pay cut, due to the proposed pay freeze.
“This dispute rest entirely at the door of the secretary of state, who could easily resolve it by providing an adequate budget for public transport services. The Translink workers have the unflinching backing of Unite. In the coming days, workers will be taking their campaign for decent pay direct to the door of the secretary of state.”
Speaking for GMB trade union, regional organiser Peter Macklin said: “Workers and our public services will not be the collateral damage in a game of chicken. The unions have agreed three further strike days before Christmas.”
SIPTU regional organiser Niall McNally said: “The secretary of state needs to step back and pull Northern Ireland from the brink. A return to stable government in Northern Ireland requires adequate funding for basic public services, including public transport – funding sufficient to enable a proper pay increase for public sector workers. It is still within the power of the secretary of state to avoid this strike if he intervenes to resolve this dispute.”
A spokesperson for the NIO said: “The UK Government has no authority to negotiate pay in Northern Ireland. It is for the relevant NI departments to negotiate pay policies.
“It remains the Secretary of State’s priority to see the return of locally elected, accountable and effective devolved government, which is the best way for Northern Ireland to be governed.
“The Secretary of State has commissioned a range of information and advice from the Northern Ireland Civil Service on potential measures to raise more public revenue, or otherwise to improve the sustainability of public finances in Northern Ireland, for an incoming Executive to consider.”
by LoveLaughLarne
6 comments
Then pay them a decent wage Translink.
The SoS angle seems a bit weird to me. It’s a devolved matter, so why not call out the DUP for their refusal to allow local government to work?
I am all for giving them more money, especially with companies price gouging the fuck out of everything, but I would feel more sympathy for them if the services actually improved after the last time they went on strike and got more money out of it.
We keep hearing about the Stormont overspend without ministers any way. Can’t DFI just over spend a little bit more?
Stinking, unless done tactically for maximum damage (to prove the necessity of the business) is pointless! I don’t like the dates, obviously, but I fully understand them!
so, 3 other days will be the busiest?
people have budgets and shopping lists, they arent going to have more money to spend through december if they dont spent it on those 3 days.