This week marked half-a-year since Unite members working in the NI Housing Executive started their strike for a decent pay settlement.
Union issues strike notice after Northern Ireland Housing Executive fails to up pay offer.
The strike by the union’s approximately 300 members working at the agency commenced in September after management failed to make any offer whatsoever to improve pay and meet the pay claim of Unite members.
Regional Officer for Unite, Michael Keenan laid the blame for the continued strike action squarely at the feet of employers and warned that the strike was likely to have a severe impact on housing executive services
NIHE bosses failed to bring forward any concrete proposals to address the pay claim of Unite’s members. They have left their employees with no alternative but to recommence strike action.
Last month, the housing maintenance workers overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer made by management at the Labour Relations Agency in December.
The workers who are employed in North and West Belfast, Portadown, Coleraine and Derry/Londonderry will therefore continue their strike action in pursuit of a fair pay increase for the 2021-2022 year. Their strike is now into its 26th week and has led to ballooning impact on maintenance services for social housing units.
In the midst of a homeless crisis, there are 193 social housing units in the affected areas lying empty despite having ‘live tickets’ issued for work to change their tenancy. In addition, more than 4,400 repair and maintenance jobs judged to be ‘emergency’ have been left undone and a further 9,600 works deemed routine have not been completed. 246 adaption jobs needed by disabled tenants are also outstanding.
Incoming ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy criticised the NI Housing Executive on its failure to extend a fair pay increase and end the strike and the impact it was having on social housing tenants.
Gerry met the striking Unite members and discussed with their officials, Susan Fitzgerald and Jackie Pollock, and discussed how the wider trade union movement can support these principled workers and their string fight for pay justice.
Gerry urged all trade union leaders and activists to visit the daily picket line at the NIHE HQ in Adelaide Street in Belfast, and other NIHE depots and offices around NI.
