‘Working people on picket lines for pay decency’ - UNITE

Striking members of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ground maintenance team have picketed the Executive’s Derry headquarters in pursuit of a cost of living pay rise.

The picket by the Pennyburn-based workers was supported by UNITE the Union and People Before Profit.

It took place on Friday morning at Richmond Chambers in the Diamond in the city. 

Speaking to Derry Now, Susan Fitzgerald, UNITE'S Regional Co-ordinating Officer said UNITE members were picketing following six months of strike action against the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

Ms Fitzgerald added: “It is quite outrageous that working people are being kept on picket lines in pursuit of pay decency. 

“And, we have this staggering situation where the Northern Ireland Housing Executive currently seems to be accountable to absolutely nobody. The Permanent Secretary has been contacted by UNITE and seems to be washing his hands of things. It is just not good enough. Workers are suffering and tenants are suffering yet no-one is taking responsibility.

“Our members are absolutely determined to secure pay respect and justice and they are fully supported in that battle by tenants, who are undoubtedly struggling at this time.

“The NIHE has absolutely abandoned its duty of care to people in their housing stock. We are working with tenants at this stage to come together because there is a common cause. Tenants are telling us they support the workers. Many of our members are NIHE tenants as well. We are absolutely fighting in this battle together and it is about time that the Housing Executive and the Permanent Secretary, in the absence of anyone else taking Charge, sat down and showed some respect to working people who persisted and put themselves at risk all through covid to keep things ticking over. It really is just not good enough” said Ms Fitzgerald.

Ms Fitzgerald added UNITE would support its members through every step on this battle.

She added: “Effectively there are no negotiations at the minute. The CEO of NIHE, Grainia Long, has, in her latest letter to UNITE, asked workers to reconsider an offer they rejected by almost 100%. That is disrespectful and we don’t appreciate it for someone in her position.

“There is another union involved and they are currently discussing with their members an inferior offer. Unfortunately  that’s been used to hold things up we believe.

“Our members are effectively looking for a cost of living pay increase. They have actually been extremely flexible in that demand. Noone reasonable could expect them to be flexible in that demand but in order to move the situation on and get back to work, they have tried to be as flexible as possible to assist in getting a resolution. 

WATCH: Derry grounds’ maintenance team demand cost of living pay rise

Picket line protest at NIHE headquarters in the Diamond

“They have tried to be as flexible as possible to allow the Housing Executive to move in a way that doesn’t create difficult precedents. Our members have bent over backwards and they have been met with a wholly inferior pay offer. That is why we rejected it.

Troy Hunter, from the Pennyburn direct labour organisation grounds’ maintenance team, said the strike would reach the six month point next week.

“The team looks after all of the grounds around the estates,” added Mr Hunter, “all of the grassy areas, all the shrubs, all the trees.”

“Because of the strike, there is a lot of work which is not getting done. Our winter work has not been done. To use the estate of Brigade as an example, it is a lovely, well-kept estate. It is all shrubbery down both sides of the road. It is elderly tenants who live there, who even when we go through our normal working, like things maintained to a high standard, which we do.

“At the minute, all of these estates and shrubberies all look terribly out of sorts. People are phoning and complaining that they can’t see out their windows; cars are approaching junctions and they can’t get a clear view because hedges haven’t been cut, which is creating difficulty there. 

“We clean back lanes to the homes of a lot of elderly people. The lanes have become mossy and people are afraid of falling. 

“At the minute none of that is going on and this is going to take well into next year to resolve because, if we do go back soon. We would rather be working and serving the people in our communities.”

Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) was on the picket line supporting the ground maintenance team.

He said: “In addition to being a councillor, I am a trade unionist. I have been on strike myself and these workers now have been on strike for six months. It is an incredible strike. I am being told it is the longest ever public sector strike.

“We want to make sure these workers know they have support, just like Royal Mail workers have support and Health and Social Care workers have support, just like all groups of workers who have been forced to take action have support.

“We have started doing this Friday gathering and having a few people over to support the ground maintenance team with tea and coffee. It is small things but I think it sends a message to them that they are not fighting alone and we have their back.

“We do want to see more pressure coming on the Housing Executive management to settle this. What the workers are asking for is a very modest pay increase in relation to the scale of inflation and pay inflation and food inflation. The quicker we get this resolved, they can get off the picket lines and go back to work.”