Public transport services in Northern Ireland have been severely disrupted as employees launched a 24-hour strike from midnight on Thursday over a “pay freeze”. The work stoppage is set to affect several modes of transportation, including Ulsterbus, Metro, Glider, and Goldliner services, while train services and school buses have also been affected. The strike was called by the Unite, GMB, and SIPTU unions, whose members have protested against the lack of a pay rise for Translink workers.
Translink, the country’s transport operator, said that it could not make a pay offer due to budget constraints. It did not receive a budget for a pay offer from the Department for Infrastructure in the 2021 budget allocation from Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris. The Education Authority has warned that over 57,000 children and young people are affected by the strike and the separate 24-hour pay strike by school support workers happening on the same day.
Unite deputy regional secretary David Thompson said that “frustrations are starting to boil over” and emphasised that his union is demanding a pay rise for transport workers. He described the stoppage as a necessary action as his members had not received an alternative. GMB regional organiser Peter Macklin also called for the secretary of state to intervene and cautioned that the strike “will affect all parts of Northern Ireland’s economy and society”.
Translink Director of Service Operations Ian Campbell said that the transport provider has had no budget allocation for pay in 2021 and has “regular engagement” with the trade unions. He added that the impasse would only be resolved when the budget allocation changes. An NIO spokesperson echoed the sentiment, saying that the UK government has no authority to negotiate pay in Northern Ireland. The spokeswoman emphasised Secretary of State’s priority to achieve the return of locally elected devolved government
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