Health service maintenance workers to strike in the North

Maintenance workers in the health service in the North are to go on strike after they accused Stormont officials of reneging on paying money they were entitled to under a pay deal.

Amicus’ craft workers section Unite announced today up to 300 craft workers including plumbers, electricians, fitters, joiners, painters, boilermen and other maintenance staff across the five new trusts would go out on strike next Monday after talks broke down with the Northern Department of Health.

They accused the department of failing to implement a recruitment and retention premia as part of a national pay agreement which amounts to £3,000 per annum .

Unite regional officer Kevin McAdam argued: “MLAs recently paid themselves an increase after a three-year suspension of the Assembly, arguing that it was part of a national agreement.

“Why should health service workers be denied payment under their national agreement?

“Our members voted for the Agenda for Change deal based on recruitment and retention premia being part of it, only to find that the Department of Health in Northern Ireland are reneging on this part of the deal.”

Amicus craft members claimed they should have received the payments from October 2004.

The union said they now had no alternative but to take the strike action.

“GPs and consultants’ contracts have been paid since this date, yet our members (among the lowest paid) have been denied payment,” Mr McAdam continued.

“The employers are being prevented from implementing an agreement that all parties signed up to. This is some start for the new trusts and new ways of working.”