Special needs summer schemes cuts overturned

Written by Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA Branch 517 (personal capacity) Tuesday, 03 August 2010 16:17

In the opening battle against budget cuts in education, campaigners won an important victory by forcing education bosses to reverse their decision to slash summer schemes for special needs children.

In June, it was announced that the schemes were to be cut from two weeks to one and that special needs transport was withdrawn altogether. This vicious attack on children was answered by trade union members, who alongside parents and Socialist Party members, immediately mounted a militant campaign in late June and early July. A petition was raised, protests were held in Newry, Armagh and Lisburn and the campaign received good media coverage and public support rocketed.

Ballynahinch I CAN centre needs long-term funding

Written by Brian Booth, NIPSA Branch 517 (personal capacity) Monday, 14 June 2010 17:06

The I CAN Centre in Ballynahinch has again been threatened with closure and thrust into another period of uncertainty by the South Eastern Education and Library Board in this first round of savage cuts across education.

Civil service 2009 pay final offer

Written by Paul Dale, Vice-Chair CS Executive Committee (personal capacity) Thursday, 03 June 2010 13:59

Following the rejection of an initial offer for 2009 Northern Ireland civil service pay in April, NIPSA has now received an improved final offer. The union has embarked on a 3-week consultation with their civil service branches with members attending pay meetings and voting whether to accept or reject the offer. The Civil Service Executive Committee which has a Broad Left majority has reluctantly recommended the offer to members. However we do not describe this as a good offer or even a fair one and falls far short of our 2009 claim.

Assembly reneges on civil service pay

Written by Paul Dale, vice-chair, CS Executive Committee, NIPSA (personal capacity) Saturday, 17 April 2010 09:30

Anger and frustration has greeted the latest developments on NICS pay. Already eight months overdue - the pay offer was due to be paid last August - a formal offer was finally received in March 2010. The wait has not been worth it however, as it has amounted to a pay freeze on the max points of all scales.

These points are recognised as the rate for the job as all workers are expected to progress to the max of the pay scales when they have completed enough service. It is also being seen as a freeze on all who are due to retire.

United action to defend compensation scheme

Written by NIPSA civil service worker Wednesday, 14 April 2010 08:30

The government is planning to slash thousands of civil service jobs across Britain and Northern Ireland and when they try to do it, they want to be sure that it’s as cheap as possible; that is the reason behind the change to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (redundancy scheme) which has been undemocratically forced through Parliament.

Capita: 84 more jobs lost

Written by Paddy Meehan Tuesday, 16 March 2010 19:27

Just days after announcing annual profits of £357million, Capita is set to sack another 84 workers in Belfast. Capita, which has major contracts with the NI civil service and the BBC, once employed 450 workers, but after this latest round of job losses, only 75 will remain at its base in Clarendon Dock.

NIPSA: Effective defence of services needed

Written by Billy Lynn, NIPSA General Council (personal capacity) Tuesday, 16 March 2010 08:30

On 26 March 2010, NIPSA has organised a special meeting for delegates from across the union as part of its "Public Service Defence Campaign". This meeting comes at a time of government attacks upon, not only on the pay and conditions of public service workers, but the public service itself. The Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, has recently announced a massive £365 million cut in the budget of the Northern Ireland Executive.