Striking workers at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), the region’s strategic housing authority, have rejected the latest pay offer put forward by management.
The body had offered a one-off payment of £1, 000 for those earning less than £32, 000 and £500 to those on higher pay scales; some workers on the lowest wages were also offered an uplift of one pay point.
It added that the offer had been “rejected overwhelmingly” in a ballot conducted on picket lines on turnout of 93.5% and a rejection majority of 99.5%.
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At the time, Unite said the strike, which involves about 300 of the roughly 3, 500 NIHE staff, would remain in place for one month.
In a statement, the union said there are currently more than 190 social housing units in the affected areas lying empty, despite instructions for work to change their tenancy.
Unite said: “In the midst of a homeless crisis, there are 193 social housing units in the affected areas lying empty despite having ‘live tickets’ issued for work to change their tenancy.
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“In addition, more than 4, 400 repair and maintenance jobs judged to be ‘emergency’ have been left undone and a further 9, 600 works deemed routine have not been completed.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said the strike was having an impact on social housing tenants in the midst of a housing crisis.
She said: “The fact that after standing 23 weeks on cold and wet picket lines, striking housing workers voted with more than a 99% majority to reject this pay offer tells its own story.
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“These workers don’t want to be standing on picket lines but have been left no alternative because of the intransigence of management.
“These workers continued their strike right through the holiday period and while they want to get back to work they are determined to do so having won respect and a decent pay improvement.”
She said: “They need to make a decent pay offer, end this dispute and the impact it is having both on my members and on vulnerable tenants – their failure to do so to date is nothing short of a disgrace.”
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The East Derry member of legislative assembly Cara Hunter (SDLP) spoke out about the continuing dispute, saying the Northern Ireland Housing Executive “must deliver a fair and equitable pay agreement for workers”.
She said: “The Housing Executive needs to act quickly and decisively and reach a fair pay agreement with staff, allowing them to return to their normal duties as soon as possible.
“These workers have struggled throughout 2022, and with no end in sight to the current cost-of-living crisis, we need to see recognition of the difficult situation that many staff find themselves in.
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“The failure of the Housing Executive to deliver on this much needed pay agreement is also impacting tenants and those on the waiting list.
“Just this week, I have been contacted by two people who are facing homelessness at the end of this month because they can’t access temporary Housing Executive accommodation locally.
“The current impasse is putting those families and others under considerable stress, with no certainty of where they will live at the end of this month.
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