Many Derry roads not gritted ahead of icy snap 

Drivers have been urged to take care as road gritting services are disrupted this week.

Temperatures have dropped below zero this week as the icy snap is predicted to continue into the weekend.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has said that industrial action has led to a staff shortage and therefore there is not enough staff to run a morning and afternoon gritting rota.

In a statement, The Department of Infrastructure said essential services which were routinely delivered would be reduced.

These services include gritting roads; response and clear up of oil spills or debris; repair of serious defects such as manhole and pothole collapses and gully clearing and cleansing.

The DfI said that the disruption to winter services, such as gritting, is part of continuing strike action over a pay structure and productivity bonus within the road service.

"While contingency arrangements are being put in place, this will not replace the full maintenance service and we would therefore ask all road users to be mindful of this and exercise care when making their journeys," the statement added.

MLAs have also come forward ahead of the icy snap to urge drivers to take care but they have blamed funding cuts for the pay disputes and subsequent staff shortages.

Last week, road maintenance workers went on strike across Northern Ireland for seven days in a dispute over pay.

Alan Perry, regional organiser for GMB, said the union had met with the DfI on Monday, but no resolution was reached.

About 200 of the workers who are members of the union Unite will be joining colleagues from the GMB in the strike action.

They are calling for productivity bonuses to be part of their pay, not dependent on a manager's decision.

Councillor Graham Warke said Road Service employees are "frustrated" as employees are being blamed for the shortage in gritting services.

Councillor Warke said: "Everyone is well aware of the wintry spell coming in. When we have spells like this, the city can come to a standstill and we often see car accidents.

"Workers want to be doing their job to keep the roads safe and clear but many factors are affecting this.

"There is a shortage of funding for these services, down £2.6 million from 2021/2022 in the 2022/2023 budget.

"Workers are run off their feet trying to provide these services but are obviously frustrated with recent changes affecting their ability to do so."

DLP Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan also expressed serious concerns that the decimation of budget allocations is impacting the delivery of winter services.  

In response to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) submitted by Mr Durkan, the department detailed that the winter service expenditure has been slashed from £9.7million in 2017/18 to £6.6million in 2021/22.

The Western Division has also seen grit expenditure almost halved within the same timeframe from £1.3 million to £700,000.

Speaking following a Met Office yellow warning for ice and snow across Northern Ireland, Mr Durkan said: “It is glaringly obvious that budget pressures are severely limiting the department’s ability to respond to the demand for winter services.

"Allocations have been slashed drastically within a five-year period resulting in a depletion not only of material resources but a depletion of crews on the ground.

"That’s a reality which applies right across the board, affecting not just winter services but pothole repairs, resurfacing works, road safety measures to name a few.

“It’s ludicrous that the department has expected road maintenance staff to meet rising demand on diminishing resources.  DfI are increasingly relying on contractors to get work done yet maintenance workers aren’t being properly valued.

"Striking workers have my full solidarity, their current pay is nowhere near sufficient amid rising costs and I’ve written to the Permanent Secretary asking for urgent reform of current pay structures.  

“Sadly given the huge budget pressures, Department officials had already indicated that increased disruption and risk of danger on our roads would be a reality long before strike action was instigated. We need an executive in place to mitigate these risks.” 

The department is working with the Department of Finance and the unions involved to try and resolve the issues around pay.