NI Water bosses bid to end water supply dispute

A management offer to end an industrial dispute that has left thousands without water in Northern Ireland will be put to staff in the North's supply company today.

Bosses at government-owned Northern Ireland Water tabled proposals aimed at resolving the pensions row during late night negotiations with union representatives at the Labour Relations Agency in Belfast.

Around 3,200 properties in the region remain without supply due to the dispute.

Out-of-hours repair services are not being carried out as normal as the result of the work-to-rule action by staff over proposed changes to their pension scheme.

Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone are the areas worst affected by supply problems, with customers having to collect water from temporary tanks, with some even being forced to boil snow.

The dispute centres on NI Water’s bid to roll out public sector pension reforms that have already been implemented in other state organisations in the region.

Staff are resisting the moves, claiming their monthly pension contributions are set to soar.