Unite members employed in waste collection at the Armagh depot have voted to suspend a seven-week strike taken in response to the sacking of their union rep.
Unite has vowed to continue to “pursue justice” for its sacked shop steward through all available avenues, including at employment tribunal where “the council will have to justify its decision”.
The strike action will be suspended from midnight [Thursday] tonight with employees returning to work tomorrow.
In a meeting notifying management of the decision to suspend, union officials demanded the council conduct an audit into its industrial practices, which they have agreed.
The union has described the behaviour of senior council management at Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon (ABC) council towards its team of workforce reps as “shameful” and warned that any further aggression towards its reps or to the jobs, pay, terms and conditions of its members will be completely opposed by workers.
Unite regional secretary of Unite, Susan Fitzgerald said: “The workers who took strike action for seven weeks are to be congratulated for their solidarity with their rep and their union. Their integrity contrasts sharply with the behaviour of council bosses. Our members took a stand in defence of hard won union rights for all workers. Management needs to understand that an attack on any of our workforce reps is an attack on our union.
“Unite will now escalate our dispute through legal avenues; those who sacked our rep and then doubled down on that must be held to account.””
Unite the union is seeking to meet with local councillors to demand action on the hostile environment members are experiencing at ABC council.
Unite regional officer Brenda Stevenson said: “Our members return to work with their heads held high. The responsibility for this strike lies squarely with senior council management who have presided over a hostile environment for union reps.
“We want to thank the local community who overwhelmingly supported the bin workers and their fight to defend their union despite the impact this strike had on bin collections.”
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Council said: “A meeting took place today where there were differing views expressed as to industrial relations between Council management and Unite the Union.
“Both parties agreed that a review would take place to address the issues raised between management and Unite. In order for this to be facilitated, Unite agreed to suspend industrial action from 00.01 Friday, September 6.”
Independent unionist, Alderman Paul Berry, commented: “Thankfully after several weeks this unjustified strike action has been suspended after the appeals decision.
“I am relieved that the Council has been vindicated and they have been successful in this sorry process. The Independent Appeals Body dismissed all the grounds of the appeal and as I have stated all along that there was no need for this strike in relation to one individual.
“The Appeals process was independent and was investigating the decision made so all these weeks of hell for the ratepayer and our staff was so unnecessary and shameful from Unite Union Leadership.
“I would thank the people of the Cusher and Armagh DEA areas who suffered, households, businesses, elderly, parents with babies and those for medical waste reasons who were really suffering.
“I want to pay tribute and salute our staff right from management, call centre, refuse crews on overtime for weeks and recycling centre staff who went above and beyond during this dreadful period, they are all a real credit to Council and the community at large.
“There will be a recovery period to get routes back on track and I will continue to work with everyone to ensure the service is back on track.
“I hope Unite Union senior management really consider this case and learn immediately from their actions on the ground as quite frankly it was a complete failure on their behalf.”
