Northern Ireland faces mass water disruption as hundreds of workers vote in a strike ballot.
GMB and Unite members working for Northern Ireland Water and Northern Ireland Water Alpha are angry, saying they missed out on a pay rise and a lump sum given to other civil service workers.
Workers want a 5.5 per cent increase and a one off £1,550 payment which the union says all other civil service workers received in the 2023-2024 tax year.
The payment has been authorised by NI Water – but the Department for Finance must sign it off before workers can be paid.
The unions have warned Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald she risks the first strike in a decade after members of both unions voted for industrial action with majorities of more than 90 per cent in a recent consultative ballot.
Alan Perry, GMB Senior Organiser, said:
“Our members voted overwhelmingly for strike action in the consultative ballot.
“If they come back and vote the same way in the industrial ballot then our unions will provide seven-day strike notice on the employer.
“Unless Minister Archibald moves, the prospect is that water workers will be on picket lines in the next two weeks.
“The window of opportunity to avoid this strike is rapidly shrinking – the Minister needs to act and act quickly to avoid what is an entirely unnecessary and potentially hugely disruptive strike action.”
Joanne McWilliams, Unite Regional Officer, said:
“Minister Archibald needs to act quickly to avert the risk of a disruptive dispute. Everyone else – the employer and the department for infrastructure – has agreed that this payment should finally go to these workers but she is now holding it up.
“It is completely unacceptable that water workers are still waiting for a payment all other civil service workers received months ago.
“Simply because their government owned employer is arms-length. The Minister needs to recognise that our members will not accept being treated unfairly.”
