A union has accused a Northern Ireland council of breaching employment law over the use of agency workers during a strike.
Unite officials are furious amid claims Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has brought in agency staff “to undermine a strike by their own workers”.
The Council, however, has strongly denied the claim insisting the staff are being used for the “roles they were recruited for” and not to do the work of striking employees.
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In July the Government announced that due to a change in the law “businesses can now provide skilled agency workers to fill vital staffing gaps caused by industrial strike action”. Unions have slated the law change as a move by the Tories to ‘break strikes’.
Kwasi Kwarteng made the change when he was Business Secretary, saying it removed “burdensome, 1970s-style restrictions” and it was necessary to curb “militant trade union action”. He has just been appointed Chancellor by PM Liz Truss.
Unions are currently challenging the change in the law. The Government says that the legal changes apply across England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland sources say that the changes do not apply here, however it is unclear if they will be applied at a later date.
In a statement regarding the situation at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, where official industrial action started on Tuesday (September 6), Unite has slammed the Council.
In an email release to members, Unite regional officer, Kieran Ellison said: “Lisburn and Castlereagh bosses offer nothing to their employees who are facing the worst cost of living crisis in decades.
“Management is acting disgracefully and need to be pulled in.
“Councillors need to make it clear to management that flagrant breaches of law are not acceptable as they are sending a signal throughout the borough that any individual can break the law when it suits them.
“We have already reported this breach of employment law and we will use every angle to challenge this legally.
“The use of agency workers by council bosses to undermine a strike by their own workers, workers who were only months ago feted as essential and frontline, has been met with anger and derision on picket lines.
“Workers are standing for dignity and respect and they are determined to win both.
“I would ask that this be investigated in a timely manner and where breaches of the law occurred, they are dealt with in a robust manner.”
The local authority was contacted to respond to the allegations that it took on and reassigned agency workers to fill the roles of striking staff on a day of industrial action.
A LCCC spokesperson said: “I can confirm that the council has not engaged any additional agency workers at this time. The council is using agency workers in the roles they were recruited for.”
The General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, has now challenged council bosses.
She said: “It is not lawful for any employer to take on agency workers or to reassign existing agency workers to cover work affected by industrial action.
“Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is a local government body and it is completely unacceptable for them to act with such disregard for employment law.
“My union will seek all avenues to challenge this unlawful behaviour by council management.
“This is a shameful attack on their own workforce, but it will only redouble the determination of council workers and their union to win a cost of living pay increase.”
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