A Conservative spokesman has accused public sector union bosses of “condemning thousands of households to misery”, during a dispute over pensions in NI Water. Mark Brotherston commented after industrial action, organised by the union 'NIPSA', caused 9,000 homes in Fermanagh, Tyrone and Londonderry to remain without water.
“NIPSA’s directive to its members to ‘work to rule’ is causing such misery, at the moment, that the Red Cross has been on the ground in some areas”, Mark explained. “The conduct of union bosses is unacceptable and proves yet again that they are prepared to subject hard-working people to unimaginable disruption, simply in order to protect perks and drive an extreme, out-of touch ideology. The dispute is another example of a union setting its face against reality, in unreasonable and irresponsible fashion.”
“This dispute is about NIW asking employees to contribute a little more to pensions that will still be incomparably more generous than those enjoyed by the vast majority of private sector employees. Right across the UK, pensions have been squeezed, due to recession and the fact that people are living longer. It’s simply not tenable to approach disputes refusing to make reasonable compromises. NIPSA leaders should stop trying to provoke confrontation at every opportunity and stop holding people across Northern Ireland to ransom, with their point-blank refusal to let us build modern, sustainable public services.”