Unite the Union has stated 300 Housing Govt staff have begun strike motion as they're “determined” and having to go to meals banks.
Workers on the Northern Eire Housing Govt (NIHE) are taking strike motion after administration “failed” to satisfy a pay declare.
Unite has now given the physique seven day discover of strike motion for its 300 members.
Industrial motion will start on Monday, September 5, and can stay in place for 4 weeks.
Unite stated the strike has been referred to as after administration “did not make any supply in anyway to enhance pay and meet the pay declare” of its members.
Employees’ calls for embrace a money cost, alongside a consolidated two pay level improve above the Nationwide Joint Council nationwide pay supply for 2021-22, which is 1.75%.
NIHE stated the motion will instantly have an effect on response upkeep measures in Craigavon, Coleraine and north and west Belfast.
Solely emergency repairs will likely be carried out in these areas to minimise disruption to tenants.
NIHE additionally stated it understands the rise in the price of residing and the influence on staff.
Michael Keenan from United the Union, who's representing the employees, stated inflation is working at about 10% and in step with different native authorities they're attempting to extend staff’ pay.
Talking to the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme, he stated: “Our members are among the many lowest paid in Northern Eire, they’re visiting meals banks they usually simply can’t afford to work and that’s why they’ve been compelled into taking this motion.
“This (strike motion) appears to be the one manner, now we have been in negotiations with the Housing Govt administration since March. We suspended industrial motion again in June and it took us six weeks to truly get a gathering with administration to debate this.
“Folks don’t wish to be out on strike however they're compelled to, what else can they do, different native authorities have discovered a approach to pay their staff, we're in the identical place.
“(A 4 week strike) is critical as a result of earlier within the 12 months we had a 3 week strike and the Housing Govt refused to discuss inflation to pay.”
Mr Keenan added: “Everyone understands that inflation is biting into individuals’s wages and folks can’t afford to warmth their houses or purchase meals, and are visiting meals banks.
“However understanding that doesn’t put meals on the desk. These staff labored through the pandemic, they have been frontline in individuals’s homes when it was really thought of harmful.”
Employees are “determined”, he stated, and that's the reason motion is being taken as he blamed administration for refusing to take a seat down and talk about the problems.
A spokesperson for the Housing Govt stated: “Unite has notified us of additional deliberate industrial motion from 5 September to three October.
“That is a part of an on-going collection of strikes by Unite regarding the 2021/22 pay award.
“Based mostly on earlier strikes, we envisage the strike motion will instantly influence our response upkeep companies in three areas: Craigavon, Coleraine and North & West Belfast.
“Throughout this era, we'll perform emergency solely repairs inside these areas.
“We are going to contact tenants instantly about postponements of scheduled restore works and tenants can proceed to report repairs as regular by way of our normal channels.”
He added: “We’ll additionally monitor the influence on tenants each day because the strike motion continues.
“Our pay is topic to nationwide collective bargaining preparations.
“The pay award of 2021/22 for all Housing Govt workers was collectively agreed at a nationwide stage and the pay will increase have already been carried out.
“Along with the nationwide pay negotiations, a neighborhood declare was submitted by NIPSA and Unite in June and these discussions are on-going.
“We perceive the influence of the rise in the price of residing and the way it's affecting our colleagues.
“That is being thought of at current by way of the 2022/23 nationwide pay negotiations.
“A nationwide pay supply was made on 25 July which incorporates £1,925 for all staff (offering increased pay will increase (10.5%) for the bottom paid staff).