Agenda and minutes

            The Chief Executive submitted the summons convening the meeting.

No apologies were reported.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

Moved by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Black)

Seconded by Councillor R. McLaughlin and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the special meeting and the monthly meeting of the Council of 2nd May be taken as read and signed as correct.

            The Lord Mayor, together with a number of Members, extended her condolences to Councillor de Faoite on the death of his grandmother.

            The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Mr. David Stevenson, a member of the Business Support Unit in the Building Control Service and extended her sympathy to his family.

            The Lord Mayor, together with several Members, referred to the success of the recent event to confer the Freedom of the City upon Dáithí Mac Gabhann and wished him and his family well for the future.        

            Councillor Doran extended his best wishes to Reverend Colin Morrison, Minister of Eglantine Presbyterian Church, who was due to retire on 25th June after forty years of ministry.

            Councillor Bunting paid tribute to those former Members of the Democratic Unionist Party who had either retired at the end of the previous Council term or not been re-elected and welcomed Councillors R. Brooks, D. Douglas, Ferguson, Lawlor, I. McLaughlin and McCormick to their first meeting.

            Councillors Ferguson, Long and Smyth extended their best wishes to former Alderman Sandford who had retired at the end of the previous Council term.

            Councillor Smyth paid tribute to former Councillor O’Hara who had failed to be re-elected and highlighted the significant contribution which he had made to the Council and the City over the past four years.  

            The Lord Mayor congratulated Miss Zara Thompson and her fellow pupils of St. Anne’s Primary School on the success of their fundraising activities to provide aid to Cambodia.

To consider a request for Mr. Neil Moore, Regional Officer of Unite the Union, to address the Council in relation to industrial action being undertaken currently by employees at Survitec, Dunmurry.

The Chief Executive reported that a request had been received for a representative of Unite the Union to address the Council in relation to the industrial action being undertaken currently by workers in the Survitec survival technology company based in Dunmurry.

The Council approved the request and, accordingly, Mr. N. Moore, Regional Officer, Unite the Union, together with Mr. D. Magee and Ms. A. Faulkner, two employees of the company, were welcomed to the meeting.

Mr. Magee informed the Council that Survitec was a world leader in the production of life saving equipment and highlighted the importance of the Dunmurry plant to the local manufacturing sector and economy. He highlighted the significant role which staff at the plant had played in ensuring the overall survival of the company during the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed that the lack of appreciation from management had left them feeling disrespected and disillusioned, with morale being at an all-time low. Approximately one hundred staff employed in the plant in Dunmurry were currently engaged in industrial action, with the aim of securing a pay rise in line with the rate of inflation, which, he stressed, was long-awaited and fully deserved. 

Ms. Faulkner explained that, since 2018, staff employed in the Survitec plant in Dunmurry had seen their basic pay increase by a mere seventy-eight pence and highlighted the challenges which many were facing during the current cost-of-living crisis. She pointed out that the management of the company had failed to engage with the Trades Unions and urged the Council to support the employees’ demand for a pay rise equal to the rate of inflation, which was not deemed to be excessive in the context of the overall profits being made by the company. 

Mr. Moore compared the average rate of pay of the Directors of Survitec with that of the workers and pointed out that increasing operational and material costs were continually being met at the expense of workers’ pay. He confirmed that the rate of inflation, as measured by the Retail Price Index, currently stood at 11.5% and pointed out that, should the company accede to the workers’ pay demand and also award all its workers across the United Kingdom and Ireland a similar pay increase, it would equate to only 3.3% of sales revenue.  He concluded by stressing that the current industrial action was being widely supported by the various Trades Unions and urged the Council to also lend its support.

The Lord Mayor thanked the deputation for its contribution, following which the Council noted the information which had been provided.     

To consider requests from the BBC and UTV to film proceedings at this evening’s Council meeting.

The Chief Executive reported that requests had been received from the BBC and UTV to film the installation of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor.

The Council approved the requests.

(Report to be tabled)

            The Chief Executive drew the Council’s attention to a report providing information on the following Positions of Responsibility which had been selected by the Nominating Officer of each Political Party for the four-year Council term:

            The Council approved the Positions of Responsibility for the four-year Council term, as set out above.

Year 1 Positions of Responsibility - 2023/2027

            The Chief Executive drew the Council’s attention to a report providing information on the persons who had been selected by the Nominating Officer of each Political Party to hold Positions of Responsibility in Year 1 of the current Council term:

Prior to the installation of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor, the outgoing Lord Mayor provided a brief overview of her year in office and stressed that it had been a privilege to serve as the First Citizen of Belfast. She went on to thank her Political Party, her family, former Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Michelle Kelly, the High Sheriff, other Members and staff from across the Council for the valuable support which they had provided. She also paid tribute to her chosen charities and pointed out that meeting with various organisations/groups and with people generally had been a highlight. She concluded by wishing the incoming Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor every success over the forthcoming year.

            Representatives of a number of Political Parties then paid tribute to the Lord Mayor and to former Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Michelle Kelly, for the manner in which they had fulfilled their duties during their year in office.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Council that it had, earlier in the meeting, approved the Positions of Responsibility for 2023/24 and that Councillor Murphy had been nominated to serve as Lord Mayor.

            Accordingly, Councillor Murphy was installed in Office for the period to end on the date of the annual meeting of the Council in 2024 and he subscribed to the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

            The Lord Mayor congratulated his predecessor, Councillor Black, on the success of her term in office and thanked his Political Party for nominating him to serve as Lord Mayor, as well as his family and the people of the Oldpark District Electoral Area. He stressed that he was fully committed to demonstrating positive leadership across all communities and that he would work to address the challenges being faced currently by workers and families across the City and to ensure that all opportunities to transform the City and increase investment, employment and prosperity were availed of.             

(The Lord Mayor, Councillor Murphy, in the Chair.)

            The Chief Executive reminded the Council that it had, earlier in the meeting, approved the Positions of Responsibility for 2023/24 and that Councillor Groogan had been nominated to serve as Deputy Lord Mayor.

            Accordingly, Councillor Groogan was installed in Office for the period to end on the date of the annual meeting of the Council in 2024 and she subscribed to the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

            Councillor Groogan began by stating that she was honoured to become the first Member of the Green Party to hold the position of either Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor in Northern Ireland. 

            She paid tribute to the previous Lord Mayor, Councillor Black, and to former Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Michelle Kelly and stated that she was looking forward to working with the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Murphy, over the coming year. 

            She went on to thank the current and former Members of the Green Party on the Council and the people of the Botanic District Electoral Area for their support. She then highlighted the need for the Council, as a civic leader, to continue to demonstrate that Belfast was a welcoming place for asylum seekers, refugees and marginalised groups and, in the absence of the Northern Ireland Executive, to be at the forefront in addressing issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, budget cuts, the climate crisis and the destruction of the built heritage.   

(Report to be tabled)

            The Council approved the following table providing details of the number of places available on each Standing Committee per Political Party and noted that the names of those Members who had been nominated for Year 1 would be circulated in due course:

To consider appointing up to a maximum of fifteen Members to serve as Aldermen for the duration of the Council term (copy of legislation attached)

            The Chief Executive advised that the Local Government (Transitional, Incidental, Consequential and Supplemental Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 permitted the Council, in an election year, to designate up to a maximum of fifteen Councillors to serve as Aldermen for the duration of the Council term.

            Accordingly, the Council agreed that Councillors Copeland, Lawlor, McCoubrey, McCullough and Rodgers be appointed to the office of Alderman for the current Council term.