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Derry and Strabane Council is to write to two Stormont departments urging them to deliver a cost-of-living payment of between £1,600-£2,000 for workers that has been agreed between the Housing Executive and the trade unions.

The matter was raised by Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Alderman Derek Hussey at Derry City & Strabane District Council’s Governance & Strategic Planning Committee.

Ald. Hussey said he had received correspondence from a HE worker which explained the payment had still not been released despite being agreed between HE and the NIPSA and Unite unions in March.

The email, said the UUP councillor, suggested the payment was now awaiting sign-off by the departments of Communities and Finance.

The cost-of-living payment was agreed between the Housing Executive and NIPSA and Unite in March.

The payments referred to were a £1,600 cost-of-living payment for all HE staff with a £400 add-on for the lowest paid workers.

“It is totally unacceptable. Here we have a situation where the unions and the employer have come to an agreement and the Department - there is nobody there, nobody is at home - to actually make the decision,” Ald. Hussey told the committee.

He proposed that the Council write to the two departments expressing concern that the agreed cost-of-living payments had yet to be enacted.

SDLP Councillor Sean Mooney, supporting the move, said it was the council’s duty to do ‘whatever we can do to alleviate’ the cost-of-living burden.

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Sinn Féin Councillor Christopher Jackson stated: “It is only right that we use whatever influence we can bring to DfC or any government body to support local workers here within our city and district, particularly the HE workers, who were on prolonged strike action demanding fair pay and conditions.”

Independent Councillor Donnelly said the workers should be paid immediately.

"We can still see the effects of them withdrawing their services for that seven months. We can see, right across the city and district, the effects of them withdrawing their labour.”

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin stated: “Any group of workers that get an agreement for a pay increase or anything else contractually it should be honoured and met and if this is happening it needs to be addresses as quickely as possible and I think we have to put our weight behind it as a council.

Council writing to Stormont to urge release of agreed cost-of-living payment to Housing Executive workers

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