NIPSA: Fighting strategy needed for members

Written by Carmel Gates Wednesday, 01 June 2011 10:30

The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance holds its annual conference in June. It will be a controversial event as the conference must draw up a balance sheet of the year just passed and work out policy for the year ahead.

For 46,000 NIPSA members the last year has been extremely difficult. They have seen their living standards depressed by inflation, services salami sliced, a huge increase in pressure and stress in the workplace and increasing attacks on public services by right-wing Assembly politicians. The year ahead looks even worse as the Assembly politicians feel freer to press ahead with cuts now that they have the elections out of the way. 

NIPSA: Left sees major gains

Written by Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA Public Officers Group Executive (personal capacity) Monday, 21 March 2011 14:10

Northern Ireland's largest trade union, NIPSA, has completed elections for its executive body, the general council. In a significant turnaround from last year's results, the left activist group, NIPSA broad left, which includes Socialist Party members, scored a spectacular success.

Medical secretaries fight jobs & pay cuts

Written by Gary Mulcahy Thursday, 23 September 2010 16:59

Medical secretaries in hospitals across the Belfast Health Trust are fighting against attempts to cut jobs and pay by £3,000 per year. As a result of the decision by the Assembly Executive to make cuts of £318million in health since last year, frontline services such as those carried out by medical secretaries are being decimated.

Special needs summer schemes cuts overturned

Written by Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA Branch 517 (personal capacity) Tuesday, 03 August 2010 16:17

In the opening battle against budget cuts in education, campaigners won an important victory by forcing education bosses to reverse their decision to slash summer schemes for special needs children.

In June, it was announced that the schemes were to be cut from two weeks to one and that special needs transport was withdrawn altogether. This vicious attack on children was answered by trade union members, who alongside parents and Socialist Party members, immediately mounted a militant campaign in late June and early July. A petition was raised, protests were held in Newry, Armagh and Lisburn and the campaign received good media coverage and public support rocketed.

Ballynahinch I CAN centre needs long-term funding

Written by Brian Booth, NIPSA Branch 517 (personal capacity) Monday, 14 June 2010 17:06

The I CAN Centre in Ballynahinch has again been threatened with closure and thrust into another period of uncertainty by the South Eastern Education and Library Board in this first round of savage cuts across education.

Civil service 2009 pay final offer

Written by Paul Dale, Vice-Chair CS Executive Committee (personal capacity) Thursday, 03 June 2010 13:59

Following the rejection of an initial offer for 2009 Northern Ireland civil service pay in April, NIPSA has now received an improved final offer. The union has embarked on a 3-week consultation with their civil service branches with members attending pay meetings and voting whether to accept or reject the offer. The Civil Service Executive Committee which has a Broad Left majority has reluctantly recommended the offer to members. However we do not describe this as a good offer or even a fair one and falls far short of our 2009 claim.

Assembly reneges on civil service pay

Written by Paul Dale, vice-chair, CS Executive Committee, NIPSA (personal capacity) Saturday, 17 April 2010 09:30

Anger and frustration has greeted the latest developments on NICS pay. Already eight months overdue - the pay offer was due to be paid last August - a formal offer was finally received in March 2010. The wait has not been worth it however, as it has amounted to a pay freeze on the max points of all scales.

These points are recognised as the rate for the job as all workers are expected to progress to the max of the pay scales when they have completed enough service. It is also being seen as a freeze on all who are due to retire.