The work-to-rule that has left thousands of households without water in the past week has been suspended following talks between Northern Ireland Water and unions representing disputing workers.
The disruption which has mainly affected Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry occurred as a result of a work-to-rule by NI Water staff over proposed changes to the company’s pension scheme.
On Monday 9,000 properties were without water with the numbers dropping marginally to just under 8,000 premises on Tuesday. In addition about 1,000 children could not attend school on Tuesday because a number of schools also had their supplies cut off.
The North’s regional development Minister Danny Kennedy told an Assembly committee this morning that there was an improvement in the situation overnight with some 1,250 properties now without water supply.
Shortly before lunchtime and after talks involving both sides, the unions said the disruption was now suspended.
“The Water Group of Trade Unions is satisfied that sufficient progress has been made to allow us to consult with our members on the offer put to us,” the unions said in a statement.
“Shop stewards have agreed that the industrial action can be suspended to allow a consultation with members before conducting a ballot. Until this is complete, it would not be appropriate to share further detail with the media,” they added.
“The immediate focus of our members today is to work to support NI Water in restoring services to customers across Northern Ireland, particularly in the west,” they said.
Restoring supply
The chief executive of NI Water Sara Venning said the concentration would be on restoring supply to the 1,250 properties without water. “This is welcome news and my continued focus is now on working with our staff to restore services to all our customers,” she said.
Any agreement must also be sanctioned by the North’s Department of Finance to ensure that it does not contravene public sector pension rules.
Earlier today the Ulster Unionist Party Minister Mr Kennedy and Ms Venning briefed the Stormont regional development committee on the situation.
Mr Kennedy said it was “intolerable” that households should have been left without water and that his “focus has always been to resolve this dispute and to address the dreadful situation people across the province find themselves in”.
He said that the disruption was mainly in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry because NI Water maintenance work in these counties was carried out by company staff who were unionised, and in dispute, while work in eastern counties was carried out by private contractors.
Asked could private contractors not be deployed to the affected areas he said, “There was a reluctance on behalf of private contractors to interfere, if you like, or to be seen to be interfering in industrial action.”
NI Water said “it may take time for the system to fully recharge and customer supplies to be restored to normal”.
