Industrial Action Update – July 2023
Colleagues:
The Unison press release below explains the current situation regarding our fight for a meaningful pay offer for all Health workers in Northern Ireland. Due to the lack of progress, Action Short of Strike Action will continue for the month of July 2023.
UNISON HEALTH MEMBERS DELIVER A WARNING THAT STRIKE ACTION WILL FOLLOW IF NO PAY OFFER IS MADE
UNISON health reps from a number of workplaces will gather to protest at 12.30 on Wednesday, June 28th outside the NIO, Erskine House, Belfast
As NHS workers in England and Wales, this week will have more money in their pay packets, health staff in Northern Ireland are once more being left behind.
Stephanie Greenwood, UNISON Convenor for Health reps will tell the protestors:
“We took industrial action over five weeks in 2019 /2020 to restore pay parity and ensure our members would not be left behind. Yet here we are again, in precisely the same place not through any fault of ours. We are being used to resolve political issues not of our making. In plain terms, this is an injustice, and we will not accept it
Food prices are still high, and energy bills and living costs are squeezing our members hard. Why should our Secretary of State think it is ok to deny pay justice and withhold funding? We are here today to tell him it is not ok. We are here today to tell him that we are planning to return to industrial action in the month of September if he and local politicians continue to sit on the fence. A continuous period of strike action over at least a 48-hour period across all health workplaces is on the cards.
As sure as night follows day, we will withdraw our labour and take to the streets if we are left behind.”
Statement ends.
ASOS Update – July 2023
Unison members began a further period of industrial action short of strike action (ASOS) starting at 00:01 on Thursday 1st June 2023 and running until 23:59 on Friday 30th June 2023, with a further continuance of ASOS running from 00:01 on 1st July 2023 and running until 23:59 on Monday 31st July 2023.
Action short of a strike (ASOS): 1st – 31st July 2023
- Refusing to have breaks interrupted.
Derogations – A&E operational members will request to have their meal breaks at their base station, within the agreed meal break windows. These breaks should only be disturbed for Category 1 immediately life-threatening calls. All members who are on unpaid meal breaks should have their meal breaks at their base station/location, within the meal break period. These breaks should not be disturbed.
- Working strictly to health & safety protocols.
Derogations – None
- Withdrawal from all union/management/Department of Health engagement except regional meetings on dispute resolution.
Derogations – None
- Strict adherence to start times.
Derogations – None.
Members should not start or book on early to answer calls, complete vehicle checks / VDIs etc. These should be commenced at the shift start time. Station-based relief members should start and finish at their base station. At the commencement of their shift, before onward travel to stations which are not their base station, but where they have been assigned duties, except when doing so would incur additional travel or expense. Relief staff will not use their own private vehicles to travel to any locations other than their base station.
Local Unison Shop Stewards and H&S Reps should be contacted if further information is required. NIAS has been given due notice of this action short of a strike, as per legislative requirements. RMC / line managers will be contacting Relief Staff to ascertain if they will be taking industrial action.
End of communique
