The pair hold a press conference later in the afternoon. Mr McAdam, Unite's Northern Ireland representative, said: "We felt it was really important to move the dates to the 21st (February) to coincide with teachers to demonstrate that there are two important things in life, one is health and the other is education.". There is a furious new attitude among health workers and it's being felt not only on strike days but every day at work. Thousands of education and health workers in Northern Ireland have taken part in strike action on Tuesday. The workers seek changes to their terms and conditions meaning the integration of a . For media enquiries ONLY please contact Unite senior communications officer Barckley Sumner on 07802 329235 or 0203 371 2067. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Workers, including ambulance service workers, are fighting for a fair pay rise and urgent action to avert an ` existential crisis' in the service. The government has already awarded a 1,400 pay increase for health workers for 2022/23, but unions have roundly criticised this for being far below the rate of inflation. 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 . Brooke Davies Tuesday 28 Feb 2023 12:01 am. Our members will be joining members of other health trade unions on the picket lines tomorrow and, unless sense prevails and our members are made a better offer, there will be a second day of strike actionon March 16th.. Those taking strike action perform a vital role maintaining road standards and safety. 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 . Road Workers demand productivity payment be integrated into payscales to remove potential mechanism for pay victimization. The Department of Education has pointed out that the education budget is under real pressure. When are the next strikes and what pay do workers want? The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a . Health workers in the Nipsa and Unison trade unions will also be taking part in. Of those balloted, 83 per cent voted in favour of strike action,17 per cent voted against strike action. This vote was carried unanimously in both venues and must be seen as message to those in a position of influence, that this type of leader who cannot, or will not, honour negotiated agreements is not acceptable to our members or their staff. 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. 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. "They [the Department of Education] need to think outside the box, they need to see where money can be saved so that the heart of education - the teachers - are remunerated properly," she said. Firstly, it was decided to call for a vote of no confidence in the current Chief Executive. Unites lead regional officer for health in Northern Ireland, Kevin McAdam, said: Nobody should be in any doubt regarding our members determination to defend their living standards amidst an unprecedented cost of living crisis. 27 Feb 2023 10:54:04 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. 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. "Given that policy position, the absence of ministers and current budgetary realities, there is no scope for a resolution at local level. This productivity payment must be integrated into workers pay and not subject to the whims of managers. Read about our approach to external linking. Premium Powerups Explore Gaming. Workers at the south Belfast bakery last walked out in 2021, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. In the absence of a functioning Stormont Executive, prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to show someleadership,bang some headstogether, make surethatwe can get back to negotiations and offer NHS workers inNorthern Ireland a better deal.. Workers at the Royal Victoria hospital went on strike in January, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. 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". STRIKE action by health workers in Northern Ireland has been moved to next week to coincide with industrial action with teachers. Unites lead regional officer for health in Northern Ireland, Kevin McAdam, said: Nobody should be in any doubt regarding our members determination to defend their living standards amid an unprecedented cost of living crisis. The move from Unite, Unison and Nipsa members, will involve some nurses, ambulance and hospital support staff. He said "a huge amount" of healthcare workers had recently joined unions, which he hoped sent "a strong message out to the government that their attacks on unions isn't working". They appealed to the public to only call in life-threatening emergencies. National Education Union (NEU) members in England will walk out on Tuesday 28 February in the North, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wednesday 1 March in the East . Health workers in the Nipsa and Unison trade unions will also be taking part in strike actions at varying times. Alan Philson, a nurse in Londonderry and Unite representative, told BBC Radio Foyle healthcare workers "can't deliver the care without investment". Thousands of education and health workers in Northern Ireland have taken part in strike action on Tuesday. STORY: Standing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a news conference in Windsor, Sunak said the two sides had agreed to ease trade rules for the British province and give its lawmakers more control over the laws they have to follow. People are on corridors, and everyone's being overstretched and overworked," he told Good Morning Ulster from the picket line at the Royal Victoria Hospital. At time of writing, communication from the unions to the Northern Ireland secretary has had no response. Every day they put their shoulder to the wheel and go above and beyond for patients and the public needing health care. So there's negotiations going on at the minute but I don't see anything happening but a strike. The ballot follows a survey carried out by the PDA in December 2022, to which 80% of its members in Northern Ireland responded; 94% of whom called [] VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Four teaching unions took part in a half-day strike over pay - their first walkout in six . Teachers, civil servants, driving examiners and Amazon workers are all taking strike action (Picture: Metro.co.uk . Action by RMT and Aslef unions over pensions and staffing will hit service on day of budget Tube workers in the RMT union will strike on 15 March, joining Aslef in a 24-hour stoppage that will . VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. The company has managed to maintain profitability throughout and its profits for 2021 have been boosted through what they deemed a bargain purchase of assets which raised the groups headline (pre-tax) profits for the 14 months to the end of 2021 to 47.3 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:Unites members overwhelmingvotefor strike actionsignals their determination tosecurea cost of living pay increase and safe staffing for patients. (LogOut/ Your email address will not be published. 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. 4000 Unite members to strike on 26 January, February 16 ,17 and 23, 24. In Northern Ireland many teachers were offered 3.2% for 2021/22 and 2022/23. Workers at Newry, Mourne & Down District Council prepare to return to industrial action for fairtreatment. Paramedics on strike will still be on standby to respond to the most serious calls. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 25 January: Members of Unite, which represents 4,000 health and social care workers across Northern Ireland, will be joining members of other health unions in taking industrial action tomorrow (Thursday 26 January). 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. The NEU has estimated that around 200,000 members across England and Wales . Schools across Wales will shut again this Thursday when . In the absence of a new pay offer, a further day of strike action has now been planned on March 16. They mustget on and do so without delay.. Healthcare in Northern Ireland, Scottish airports and some UK government services will all be affected by strike action today (Picture: Metro.co.uk) Today's another busy day of strikes, with ambulance drivers and civil servants among those picketing over pay and working conditions. 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. Workers at the Hovis factory in South Belfast are set to . At Belfast City Hall, teacher Emer Bloomer described the strike as a "show of solidarity". In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, the responsibility for resolving this disputefalls tothe UK government. Email: barckley.sumner@unitetheunion.org Unites health and social care members will picket at hospitals across NIfrom 07:00hours. Kevin McAdam from Unite said members will now walk out on 21 February, the same day the majority of teachers will hold a half-day strike. "This is the only way we can get our message through to government regionally and nationally.". NUJ members working for BBC England have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. There was a ballot and the "Up to and including strike action" passed. 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"Our members are not prepared to stand by while their pay packets shrink and their living costs rise," he said. 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. Civil servants have been placed in the unenviable position that they're having to implement decisions that they're not paid to do. 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. But it added that it fully understood the frustration of staff who continued to work in extremely challenging circumstances. Read about our approach to external linking. Unite the union has confirmed that it has given the Northern Ireland Housing Executive seven day notice of a strike action over pay. It is understood union representatives are to meet the Department of Education later this week for further talks. "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. 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. Unite members across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service returned an . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. News Sport Finance She said Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris should be in Northern Ireland "talking about the crisis in our health service". unions said this would not settle the dispute as it was lower than inflation. 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. In January, 20,000 healthcare staff in Northern Ireland,. Teachers in the Midlands and eastern regions of England begun strike action on 1 March in a long-running dispute over pay. (c) Sky News 2023: Teachers' strike: 200,000 to walk out in three days of industrial action over pay Thursday's strike is for 24 hours as opposed to 12 which will have place more strain on patients and management. 4000 members of Unite the union will join strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) at health and social care workplaces, across Northern Ireland. Change). N. egotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol are "inching towards conclusion", the Irish Taoiseach has indicated. "Our aim is to disrupt the administration of the service, not to disrupt the patients but obviously it will impact to some extent," Mr McAdam said. The strike by the union's approximately 300 members working at the agency is due to commence on September 5 th and will remain in place for four weeks. The NASUWT has been calling for a 12% increase in salaries, following deadlock over a pay deal for the past year. are to join nurses in taking strike action on 6 February in what will be the biggest NHS walkout in this dispute. Unite the union has confirmed that its members working across the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland will be participating in an industrial campaign involving all health trade unions after they voted overwhelmingly for strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase. The industrial action in Northern Ireland involves over 4,000 workers employed across the health and social care sector including ambulance workers. As we approach February, unions, including teaching unions, are planning a joint hit. The four teaching unions involved were the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT); the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO); the Ulster Teachers Union (UTU) and the National Education Union (NEU). Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Northern Ireland teachers' unions INTO and UTU, as well as . Colin Quinn from Downshire psychiatric hospital in Downpatrick, County Down, said "something needs to be done" to help healthcare workers affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Unison members on the picket line outside Antrim Area Hospital, Colin Quinn says healthcare workers have "had enough", Deirdre Murphy has been a staff nurse at Daisy Hill hospital for over 24 years, More than 20,000 NI healthcare staff are on strike, Striking health service workers say they want better pay and increased staffing levels, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Posted on February 20, 2023 by Unite the union NI Union warns of `existential crisis' for health service as NI wages fall further behind 4000 members of Unite the union will join strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) at health and social care workplaces, across Northern Ireland. In January, more than 20,000 healthcare staff in Northern Ireland took part in a one-day strike. Paramedics, nurses and hospital staff on strike, Majority of NI teachers to hold half-day strike, Ambulance staff announce new strike dates, Students join staff on university picket line, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Roads Service workers pay is dependent on a productivity-based payment which is subject to the determination of managers. Trusts have been in contact with patients who will be affected and further details are available on trusts' websites. Sign Up here . Union officials added that 80% of management grade staff and 60% of general grade members voted to accept the offers. The statement added that members were not only taking action over pay but in protest at staffing levels and travel reimbursement. 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. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:Unites members overwhelmingvotefor strike actionsignals their determination tosecurea cost of living pay increase and safe staffing for patients. Rail union TSSA has agreed nine per cent pay deal bringing to an end . The company can well afford to increase the pay of these workers to provide some protection from the surge in inflation. (LogOut/ "Trust workers have been forced to resort to food banks and take on additional shifts/second jobs," the union said in a statement. The Unite Union, which represents around 4,000 health workers, had planned 48 hours of strike for today and tomorrow as well as on February 23 and 24. Northern Ireland representative Kevin McAdam said 87% of Unite's members had rejected. Unite has notified the employer that continuous (that is all-out) strike action . (LogOut/ Credit: PA Images UNISON's health. 28 Feb 2023. Unite represents 4,000 workers across the trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). 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). 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. BBC News NI has contacted Hovis for comment. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In Northern Ireland, 4000 social care workers and health professionals in Northern Ireland under union Unite are participating in their final day of strike action due to the effects of inflation . Valheim . The workforce in Hovis know that Unite has their back as they seek to win a cost of living increase from their employer.. Unite has notified the employer that continuous (that is all-out) strike action will commence this Sunday 5th March with strike pickets going up at the Bakery at 6am that morning. Northern Ireland Health and Social Care workers strike for improved pay. That mood is fuelled by an absence of local government and a feeling that no-one actually cares or even wants to engage. Rees-Mogg defended the Northern Ireland protocol bill, which No 10 seems happy to shelve, saying it has the support of "the person who had a mandate from the British voters" - ie, Boris Johnson. Read about our approach to external linking. "The Department of Education and employers must bring forward a substantially improved pay offer if they want to see an end to this dispute.". In Scotland, teachers rejected a 5% increase and a subsequent offer of up to 6.85%. The strike is a result of the failure to deliver a cost of living pay increase. The majority of teachers and school leaders in the region took part in a 12 -hour strike on. Workers, including ambulance service workers, are fighting for a fair pay rise and urgent action to avert an ` existential crisis' in the service. Workers at Newry, Mourne & Down District Council prepare to return to industrial action for fairtreatment. 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. Pickets will be established at the following eleven depots: Ballykeel Roads Depot, 190 Larne Link Road, Ballymena; Woodburn Roads Depot, 1a Crescent Road, Derry/LDerry; County Hall, Drumragh Avenue, Omagh; Silverhill Roads Depot, 53a Shore Road, Enniskillen; Carn Roads Depot, Carn Road, Carn Industrial Estate, Portadown; Armagh Roads Depot, 44 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon; Newry Roads Depot, Springhill Drive, Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry; Sprucefield Roads Depot, Sprucefield Roundabout, Lisburn; Airport Road Roads Depot, Airport Road, Belfast; Bangor Roads Depot, 72 Balloo Road, Bangor; Sandyknowes Roads Depot, 543 Antrim Road, Newtownabbey. More than 20,000 healthcare staff in Northern Ireland have begun a one-day strike as part of a pay dispute. While workers have watched their disposable incomes collapse with the surge in inflation, Hovis has enjoyed bumper sales during the Covid pandemic and in its aftermath. The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 percent vote for strike. (LogOut/ Unite lead representative for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) Norman Cunningham said stalemate at Stormont is not helping to resolve the issues. Unite represents 4,000 workers across the trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). The College's work includes raising awareness of the impact of low incomes on health outcomes but bosses have imposed a 2.5 per cent pay increase on its own staff which is a significant . 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. 25 January: Members of Unite, which represents 4,000 health and social care workers across Northern Ireland, will be joining members of other health unions in taking industrial action tomorrow (Thursday 26 January). Subsequent strike dates which Unite has notified to employers are February 16 and 17, and February 23 and 24. 2023 BBC. Unite the union has confirmed that its members working across the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland will be participating in an industrial campaign involving all health trade unions after they voted overwhelmingly for strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase. Ambulance workers will be among those returning to the picket lines over pay demands and safer staffing levels. 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 . Change). He said: Unitesnearly 4000 health members in Northern Ireland have returned a 87% rejection of the imposition of a below inflation pay award to health workers in the region. RMT union members voted to strike after their demand for a 7% pay rise was rejected in favour of a 3% offer, and an initial three days of industrial action were scheduled for 21, 23 and 25 June, with further disruption taking place in July and August, and over the following autumn and winter. "All unions are uniting to say none of us are happy at the minute, it can't continue like this and something has to be done," she added. Edel McInerney, vice president of the NEU Northern Ireland, said: "It's been such a paltry sum that's been offered that actually in fact it's a pay cut that they're offering us, not a pay deal - we're looking for fair pay. Cargotec is a successful multinational, generating over 4 billion in revenue during 2022. "We want safe staffing levels because one nurse can not do the job of three people, it is totally unsafe," she said. "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. would not settle the dispute as it was lower than inflation. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The union representing transit operators in the Fraser Valley plans to significantly escalate its job action on Monday. This union will not accept any attempt to undermine our members terms and conditions now or in the future. 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. Roads Service maintenance workers in Unite commence one week strikeaction, 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. "They're stripping it down piece by piece," Orlaigh explained. The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 percent vote for strike. 2023 BBC. It said that in some front-line social work teams 42% of posts are unfilled, leaving staff with "unsustainable caseloads". 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. While strike action to date has hit a nerve - they know future action will have to cause a lot more pain. . This action's for them, not just us.". Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: With chronic low pay making it impossible to recruit and retain essential health workers, the health service in Northern Ireland is facing an existential crisis..