Industrial action began again in Fermanagh this week as Road Service maintenance workers took to a picket line, striking for a change to their terms and conditions.
More than 200 Unite members employed by the Roads Service of Northern Ireland this week joined with colleagues in the GMB in taking strike action for a week, in strike action that began on Monday, February 27.
The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 per cent vote to strike.
The workers are seeking changes to their terms and conditions, meaning the integration of a productivity bonus into their payscales. Roads Service workers’ pay is dependent on a productivity-based payment which is subject to the determination of managers.
In recent years, roads workers at some hubs have taken strike action over allegations of bullying and harassment and are now seeking to close down a mechanism which they claim potentially leaves them subject to victimisation by managers.
The strike pickets established on Monday will last seven days and affect roads maintenance work across Northern Ireland.
Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, pledged her union’s full support for the Roads Service workers, saying: “No worker should be subject to bullying and harassment in their place of work.
“This productivity payment must be integrated into workers’ pay and not subject to the whims of managers. Unite stands fully behind our members in Roads Service who are striking for dignity in their place of work.”
Lead Regional Officer for Roads Service workers, Gareth Scott, said: “Our members in Roads Service are dependent on the allocation of productivity-based duties in order to make bonus [payments], which leaves them subject to potentially less favourable treatment from managers.
“The workers feel that management have weaponised the bonus scheme – a situation which is intolerable.
“It is now clear that this bonus scheme is broken beyond repair, and management’s refusal to integrate this productivity mechanism into payscales has left the workforce with no alternative but to take strike action.
“Those taking strike action perform a vital role maintaining road standards and safety. The responsibility for the impact of this strike resides with the intransigence of management.”
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has urged road users to be extra careful and to be prepared for potential delays as strike action continues.
A DfI spokesperson said: “As a result [of strike action], there will be a reduced level of the essential services which are routinely delivered by DfI staff on the road network.
“This will affect many of the road maintenance functions that, as road users, we largely take for granted, including the delivery of our winter service, which includes gritting the road network; response and clear-up operation when there are incidents on the road, such as oil spills or unexpected debris; repair of serious defects such as manhole collapse or potholes; or gully clearing and cleansing.
“While contingency arrangements are being put in place, this will not replace the full maintenance service, and we would therefore ask all road users to be mindful of this and exercise care when making their journeys.
“The Department continues to work with the Department of Finance and the unions involved to try and resolve the issues around pay.”
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