Dozens protest dismantlement of Housing Executive

Trade unionists said the protest was part of an ongoing ‘Keep Our Housing Public Campaign,’ which is being stepped up as concerns over restructuring grow.

Chair of NIPSA branch 509 Sheena McDaid said local workers are concerned plans for dismantling the Housing Executive and the loss of the administration of Housing Benefit could affect 80 positions in Richmond Chambers.

“They are saying there aren’t going to be any job losses but we’re hearing information that points in the other direction,” said Ms McDaid.

Although adamant industrial action will only be taken as a last resort, the local NIPSA Chair said all cards are on the table.

“It has been talked about. We are reluctant to do that as it affects the public and at the end of the day this is their service, it is for them

“That’s why we prefer to do the protest as we don’t want them penalised but it is something that will be looked at in the future,” she said.

NIPSA member Brendan Harley confirmed union representatives will be travelling to Stormont on Tuesday (November 26) to lobby local MLAs and officials.

He said: “This will be the first step in a number of protests where we’ll be engaging other trade unions and their reps, community groups and tenants’ associations to come out in our support to actually sort of throw a few spanners in the work of the plans the Minister Nelson McCausland (has) to decimate public sector services and the delivery of social housing, i.e. through the housing executive.

“They are talking about dismantling us completely, irrespective of whatever other terms he uses and says about the security of jobs and all the rest. We found this not to be true.”

He referred to a new report by accountant and Queen’s University academic, Stewart Smyth, which was commissioned by the union following Mr McCausland’s announcement earlier this year that the strategic and landlord functions of the NIHE were to be split.

“The Stewart Smyth report speaks for itself,” said Mr Harley. “It indicates other models similar to his proposals but not as radical as his have been tried out in England and Wales and have actually failed.”