Union claims local authorities can end disruptive strikes

AS industrial action continues to cause disruption across the district for yet another week, ‘Unite’ says it’s refusing to allow Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) and the Education Authority (EA) to ‘hide behind the excuse’ that they are powerless to increase workers’ pay.

It is understood that the current strike action is due to continue until May 7, excluding the May Day Bank Holiday, which falls this Monday (May 2).

Some of the early casualities of this week’s strikes have included the closing of Omagh Leisure Complex swimming pool (expected to last two weeks), as well as the cancellation of some local football matches scheduled to be played on council-owned pitches, including the end-of-season clash between Strathroy and Dergview reserves.

Refuse collections, maintenance of Housing Executive properties, and school transport services are also expected to be affected.

The EA said Fermanagh and Omagh Council area will be ‘one of the main places affected by the strikes’, stating that it will impact on the availability of some classroom assistants, particularly in special schools, and will disrupt some EA home to school transport (yellow bus) services and school meal services.

Both the council and EA have said that the pay dispute over which Unite members are striking cannot be remedied at the local level.

A spokesperson from EA told this newspaper that, “Pay is negotiated and agreed nationally under agreed collective bargaining arrangements that includes three trade unions, including Unite.

“EA does not have the power or authority to renegotiate this.”

‘ENOUGH POWER’

However, Gareth Scott, Unite’s regional officer, believes that local authorities, although constrained by decisions made at national level, ‘have more than enough power to resolve this dispute’.

Mr Scott said, “The NJC at national level sets the rate for each of the pay points, which is what the 1.75 per-cent increase was applied to.

“However, most other pay and conditions can be set by local agreements,” he emphasised.

Mr Scott continued, “This is not a matter of whether local authorities can make decisions to resolve the dispute, but, rather, will they?

“There is considerable scope for councils to enter into local agreements on pay and conditions, and more than enough to resolve this dispute.”

A spokesperson for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council stated, “To date, and in spite of repeated requests, the council has received no proposals from Unite as to their proposed remedies, and the trade union side have so far not been able to confirm their availability for a meeting.

“The council would very much like to seek a resolution to the dispute, but we are unable to comment on whether or not a local resolution can be achieved, in the absence of an outline of what the three
recognised trade unions and seeking.”