Causeway Coast and Glens council workers begin strike
- Published
Some staff at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council are to begin strike action on Thursday in a row over pay.
The action is being taken by members of the trade union Unite, who said the council has failed "to recognise the need to provide council workers with a living income".
Causeway Coast and Glens council has warned residents to expect disruption.
Services including waste collection and street cleaning could be affected, the council said.
According to the union, a proposal was put to Tuesday's council meeting "to settle the strike by offering two pay-point increments and a lump sum to workers".
Speaking ahead of the strike, Gareth Scott of Unite said the union had hoped that Causeway councillors would "support a deal similar to that which ended the disputes at Derry City and Strabane and Mid-Ulster council".
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said it "deeply regrets that strike action is taking place and the impact this will have on residents"
In a statement, the council said the strike action related to a dispute over 2021-2022 pay, "which is negotiated nationally by the National Joint Council (NJC) on behalf of councils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland".
It said it "deeply regrets that strike action is taking place and the impact this will have on residents" and remained "fully committed to finding a resolution through ongoing discussions with trade unions".
The council has asked residents to leave bins out for collection on their normal day, saying they would be emptied "where there are sufficient crews to deliver a service".
"If bins are not emptied, residents are asked to take their bins back in from the kerbside and place them out again on their next scheduled collection day during the strike," it said.
The strike is the latest among staff members at Northern Ireland councils and public service organisations:
In Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, more than 1,000 council workers are on strike over pay and conditions
About 200 members of Unite are on strike at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
Unite says an industrial dispute is also ongoing in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Maintenance workers at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) have also begun strike action over pay