Haldane Fisher workers in Portadown, Newry, Belfast, Larne, Coleraine and Ballymena to get 12% pay rise

Workers at Haldane Fisher, a timber and building firm with premises across NI, have won a 12 percent pay deal and removed the threat of strike action.
By Carmel Robinson
Published 25th Aug 2022, 15:51 BST
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Unite the union’s members at the leading timber and building merchants voted with 78.4% majority to accept pay deal providing 12 percent increase over 15 months.

In July Unite members working at Haldane Fisher, Northern Ireland’s leading timber and building merchants, voted with a 98.1% majority to reject a pay offer from management worth an average of six percent. This set the scene for strike action due to commence on 30th September which threatened to shut down the hardware retailer and its twelve stores across Northern Ireland.

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Haldane Fisher in Portadown, Co Armagh. The firm also has premises in Newry, Belfast, Larne, Coleraine and Ballymena and across NI. Unite the Union said strike action has been averted after a 12% pay deal for workers.Haldane Fisher in Portadown, Co Armagh. The firm also has premises in Newry, Belfast, Larne, Coleraine and Ballymena and across NI. Unite the Union said strike action has been averted after a 12% pay deal for workers.
Haldane Fisher in Portadown, Co Armagh. The firm also has premises in Newry, Belfast, Larne, Coleraine and Ballymena and across NI. Unite the Union said strike action has been averted after a 12% pay deal for workers.
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Ahead of that strike action, bosses returned to the table and made a last ditch pay offer to raise workers’ pay by 12 percent over a fifteen month period to the end of March 2023. This offer represents a significant pay improvement and matches the current retail price index inflation rate.

Workers last night voted with a 78.4% majority to accept the offer. Their pay dispute is now concluded with planned strike action no longer in prospect.

Unite General Secretary congratulated all involved in the successful outcome for the workforce:

“This is another win for Unite members; this pay increase was won by workers organising in a trade union and standing ready to take effective strike action.

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“Unite the union is doing what it says on the trade union tin – we are delivering jobs, pay and conditions for our members. We are winning for workers in the worst cost of living crisis in decades.”

Regional officer for the workers, Neil Moore, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome:

“This fifteen month pay deal represents a significant win for the workers at Haldane Fisher. Whilst it will certainly improve things for our members, and meets the current retail price index measure of inflation, bosses must proceed by listening to our members from now on.

“On the back of this success, Unite is encouraging workers at all Haldane Fisher branches to join our union so that we further increase our collective strength. Workers across this sector need to get organised to protect themselves from surging inflation.”

Related topics:UniteBelfastLarnePortadownNewry