Call to end NIHE strike affecting tenants in Craigavon, Coleraine and North and West Belfast

Unite claimed NIHE Chief Executive Grainia Long failed to touch upon ‘the profound crisis’ facing social housing tenants.

It has been claimed that thousands of tenants have been left needing repairs and improvements or upgrade heating.

A spokesperson for Unite claimed: “The crisis arises from the sudden withdrawal of 11 private sector operators from outsourced maintenance contracts at a time when direct labour organisation workers are into their 13th week of strike.”

Unite Regional Officer Michael Keenan said: "Unite has sought to negotiate a resolution to the pay dispute through inviting the NIHE management to Labour Relations Agency mediated negotiations.

“The Chief Executive and Housing Executive managers should clear their diaries and engage in a fulsome way with the trade unions. The NIHE like to reference the below-inflation 2022-23 pay offer but the issue at the heart of this dispute is the imposition of 1.75 percent for 2021-22. Our members cannot and will not move on with what is a real-terms pay cut.

"When challenged the Housing Executive like to talk about their ‘pay and grading review’ but this does not, in any way, address the workforce pay claim for 2021-2022."

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: “Unite representatives have informed us that it is engaged in industrial action relating to last year’s national pay award, which has already been paid to all staff.

“This year’s national pay award includes a cost of living increase and - at £1,925 - would equate to an increase of 10.5% for the lowest paid staff.

“Now that this offer has been accepted, we will implement it in full, as quickly as possible.

“We continue to proactively engage with trade unions, indeed we have agreed to a further round of engagement through the Labour Relations Agency and we look forward to productive discussions.

“We’ve already made a number of proposals to address the trade union claim, submitted in June, including our own pay and grading review, job role re-design and changes to annual leave and working patterns.

“For this reason, it is particularly disappointing that UNITE continues to engage in strike action which is causing disruption to services to tenants particularly those in Craigavon, Coleraine and North and West Belfast.”