UNISON members in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service have welcomed the decision by Unite union to move their strike day to February 21st.
Alastair Long UNISON Ambulance Branch Secretary said:
As hundreds of our members in the ambulance service prepare to take action next Tuesday, we agree that working together makes us stronger.
This will be the 3rd time UNISON members in the Northern Ireland health service have stood up and stood out for the NHS and for our need for a decent pay rise.
UNISON members in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service have welcomed the decision by Unite union to move their strike day to February 21st.
Alastair Long UNISON Ambulance Branch Secretary said:
As hundreds of our members in the ambulance service prepare to take action next Tuesday, we agree that working together makes us stronger.
This will be the 3rd time UNISON members in the Northern Ireland health service have stood up and stood out for the NHS and for our need for a decent pay rise.
UNISON members across the health service in Northern Ireland are continuing to play their part in the whole union campaign of industrial action to secure funding for pay rise that protects against inflation.
UNSON members in Scotland secured a better deal and Wales health staff are considering the current offer from the Welsh devolved government.
So far the UK Treasury has turned a deaf ear to the demands of NHS workers and refuses to engage.
UNISON social and domiciliary care workers have been steadfast in their support for the unions' campaign of industrial action to win an inflation busting pay rise. In Northern Ireland our members in media interviews highlighted their frustration with at delays in achieving an improvement. The negotiations at UK level are stalled.
UNISON joined with other health unions to push for increased funding. The political stalemate however only allows for the DOH budget to be maintained at current levels unless instructed otherwise by the Secretary of State.
UNISON have been informed of the strike by a number of teaching unions on Tuesday 21st February for a half day.
UNISON members and all support services staff in schools are not involved in the teachers' dispute and are required to attend work unless told otherwise by the school principal.
Our UNISON Health members on strike that day will be joining with teachers at early morning local rallies and in Belfast .
Significant pay award is vital after years of cuts and restraint.
Three local government unions, representing 1.4 million council and school employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have today (Tuesday) submitted a pay claim that calls for an above-inflation wage rise.
UNISON, GMB and Unite say a significant pay award is vital after years of local authority spending cuts and pay restraint.
The claim, which would apply from the start of April, is for council employees to receive a wage rise of 12.7%*.
This is an important update for members as some information has been circulating and members are asking what happens next.
The need for a review was first agreed in 2019 as the NJC two year deal for 2019-2021 was agreed. One of the main trade union side goals was to reduce the number of points on each pay level.
Discussion between EA and trade union side started but unfortunately the COVID pandemic emerged, and the discussions were suspended.
In the absence of talks health workers across Northern Ireland are stepping out and standing up. Today thousands of health staff will withdraw from their workplaces in pursuit of pay justice.
Anne Speed Head of Bargaining and Representation at UNISON Northern Ireland said
"It is an appalling situation when trade unions willing to negotiate have all doors closed to them. It is therefore inevitable that this action today is happening.
Health workers cannot stand idly by or stay silent. And why should they?
UK government Minsters have got to drop their resistance to engagement with health trade unions on pay, and the Northern Ireland Secretary of state should include in his proposed budget provision for retrospective adjustment on the 2022 below inflation PRB recommendation.
This is the message that health members of UNISON will be delivering when they start a 24 hour walkout on Thursday January 26th.
Following a meeting of all UNISON senior lay reps across all Health Trusts
UNISON on behalf of thousands of our members in non-teaching staff within Education, welcomes the decision of the Education Authority Board to reject demands by the Department of Education to starve the Education Sector of £110million of funding.
