Council workers walk out over pay
Thursday, 17 July 2008
COLERAINE Borough Council staff are among the thousands around the province who are striking over pay in their biggest campaign of industrial unrest for years.
The Unison and Unite unions expect 600,000 workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to join the 48-hour action, which began at midnight on Tuesday (July 15).
PCS union members, who include driving test examiners and coastguards, are also striking in a separate row.
Council employers say they have reached the "limit of what is affordable".
The strike will close schools and libraries and disrupt rubbish collections and other town hall services.
The unions are protesting at pay deals which they say are below the rate of inflation and would mean an effective pay cut for their members.
Employers are hoping union members will ignore the strike calls but unions are predicting significant support.
The council action by the Unison and Unite unions comes after members rejected a 2.45 percent pay offer. The unions are asking for a rise of six percent, or 50p an hour.
The RPI inflation measure - often used as a benchmark in pay negotiations - is 4.6 percent.
A Coleraine Borough Council spokesperson said: "Bin collections scheduled for Wednesday July 16 and Thursday July 17 will be affected by proposed strike action of Council employees. Coleraine Borough Council endeavours to facilitate services to the public and will therefore be reorganising bin collection arrangements.
“Black bins, which were due for collection on the 16th and 17th will now be collected in place of blue bins on the 23rd and 24th July. The following week, 30th and 31st July, the black bin collection will take place as scheduled.
“Coleraine Borough Council apologises for the inconvenience this may cause and would like to remind those affected of the recycling points throughout the Borough."
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies.
"The cost of everyday essentials like milk, bread, petrol, gas and electricity are going through the roof - our members cannot afford to take another cut in their pay."
