Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, having failed to agree on the 2008/09 National Joint Council Pay Conditions, the Trades Unions had during June, 2008 balloted their members on the taking of industrial action.  Four Unions had voted in support of the taking of industrial action and, as a result, strike action had taken place on a national level on 16th and 17th July, 2008.  The strike action had not applied to craft workers, who were employed under different terms and conditions, while UCATT had not balloted their members and the GMB had voted against strike action.

            National figures had indicated that approximately 90,000 employees had been on strike on 16th July, representing around 8% of the Local Government workforce of 1.2 million.  That figure had been slightly lower on 17th July.  The overall figure for Northern Ireland had not as yet been confirmed, although some Councils had reported that up to 24% of staff had been on strike.  Given that the level of trade union density in Northern Ireland was significantly higher than elsewhere in the United Kingdom, it was unsurprising that the Northern Ireland figures for participation were likely to be higher than the national average.  The breakdown of the number of Belfast City Council employees who had participated in the industrial action was as follows:

            The Chief Executive and the Director of Corporate Services had met with the Party Group Leaders on 3rd July in order to discuss the contingencies to be put in place during the strike and this had ensured that disruption to the public had been minimised.  A co?ordinated approach to communication with the Members, the media and the workforce had been planned, agreed and implemented.  The impact on service delivery and key sites across the Council had been monitored on the days of action by a Central Information Control Group.

            The Director of Corporate Services reported that the main areas affected by the industrial action had been Cleansing Services, Waste Management, Community Services and the Parks and Leisure Department.  However, considerable efforts had been made to ensure that disruption to the public was minimised through media updates, leaflet drops to householders and public notices.  A number of key events had progressed successfully on the days of the industrial action, including the Rose Trials event in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park and the Opera in the Park at Botanic Gardens.

            The Director advised the Members that the National Employers Organisation, UNISON and Unite had announced that they would enter into further negotiations with the aim of securing an agreed employment package which would resolve the current dispute.  The agreed talks had begun on Wednesday, 13th August and would continue until Friday, 22nd August.  No dates had been planned for further industrial action and the Members would be provided with updates on progress.

            After discussion, during which the Members expressed their disappointment that the children’s summer schemes had not been exempted from industrial action, the Committee noted the information which had been provided.