Northern Ireland is bracing for significant disruptions due to a public transport strike scheduled for this Friday. Here are the essential details you need to know.
Strike Participants:
Employees from Translink, including those handling Ulsterbus, Metro, and Glider services, are set to strike. In addition, Unite union school support staff, encompassing classroom assistants, cleaners, caterers, and administrative and transport personnel, will also participate in the strike.
Strike Duration:
The strike is planned as a 24-hour action, spanning the entirety of Friday, 1 December, from 00:01 GMT until 23:59. Some services will be impacted outside these hours, such as Thursday’s 17:00 Goldliner express from Londonderry to Belfast and the 23:00 Goldliner from Dublin to Belfast, along with the 23:00 Belfast to Dublin bus on Thursday and the 00:45 bus from Dublin to Belfast on Saturday, 2 December.
Service Suspensions:
Translink has announced that all its bus and train services will be halted during the strike, including school bus services. Yellow school buses operated by the Education Authority are also canceled due to the support staff strike. However, privately run services like private school buses or taxis will operate as usual.
Alternative Travel Options:
Some companies operating buses between Belfast and Dublin will continue their services, although many are reportedly fully booked.
Reasons Behind the Strike:
The strike, supported by Unite, GMB, and Siptu union members, stems from dissatisfaction with current pay conditions. Workers are protesting a perceived pay freeze by Translink. The transport company claims it lacks the budget for pay increases this year, indicating that any resolution would require action at the Executive level.
Salary Details:
Starting salaries for bus drivers in Northern Ireland are around £27,233 annually post-training, increasing to £27,778 after two years. Train driver salaries are higher, though exact figures are not confirmed. Employees and their families are entitled to free public transport in Northern Ireland.
Future Strikes:
Siptu’s regional organiser, Niall McNally, hinted at more strikes, stating this is “only the first day of planned strike action.” He emphasized that avoiding further disruption, especially before Christmas, depends on the secretary of state’s response to the pay freeze policy and threats to public transport services in the region.
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