ARDGLASS HARBOUR STRIKE

 

ARDGLASS HARBOUR STRIKE

Highly skilled employees of the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA) are angling for a better deal on pay and are very reluctantly set to pull up the drawbridge by striking, writes Mark Metcalf.

By doing so they will close the harbours, preventing NI’s fishing fleet landing our best loved, healthiest food source, fish.

Seaside restaurants and chip shops will be badly hit whilst supermarket sales of the product will be washed away.

The damage to an already fragile regional economy, including fish processing factories, will be significant.

Unite members are having to take action after management failure to even keep basic pay in line with inflation or award pay increments that were recommended in an external grading review conducted in 2019.

Ardglass has been a fishing port for over 2,000 years. It has one of the few harbours which is accessible at all times and has two fishing piers,  a number of fish processing factories plus a marina. At least £8 million passes through the fish trade, mainly in herrings, prawns and whitefish, annually.

Previously un-unionised, NIFHA staff set to down tools are no rebels. They are desperately keen to maintain the high standards of service to their crews.

They are desperately keen to maintain the high standards of service they are proud to provide to around 70 privately operated fishing boats that consist of those that sail out for the day or, more generally, for two to three days. A typical crew would be 3-4 workers, some of whom are accomplished Filipino and Sri Lankan workers on short term contracts.

“This is all new territory for us,” explains Unite rep Jim Leneghan, who is a maintenance fitter who comes from an engineering background. He undertakes electrical work and he’s a qualified welder. “We joined and wanted Unite to represent us from January last year but the Authority held us back until December. I was then elected as rep.”

Like many of his fellow workers, Jim has been a loyal NIFHA employee for 20 plus years. “We feel betrayed with their skills, experiences, dedication and commitment overlooked. We know that the authority is taking in monies. And as there are so few of us, under 30 in all, they can afford to look after us. Our pay is now the minimum wage of £11.44 an hour.” 

This is despite the NIFHA declaring itself an accredited Living Wage employer which based on the cost of living should be, at least, £12 an hour. Taking strike action may be required if we want to help our families,” which in Jim’s case includes him looking after elderly parents with medical needs.

 “It is disgraceful that most workers at the NIFHA are paid the bare legal minimum,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham

“Even the harbour masters are paid only a few pennies more than the living wage. The fisheries and harbours workforce can count on the full backing of Unite in their fight for improved pay.”

Unite is demanding the NIFHA makes waves to resolve their harbour and fisheries employees needs and has written to the new Rural Affairs minister Andrew Muir who represents the Alliance Party.

“We hope Mr Muir can offer a fresh approach to resolve things before we are forced out of the gate,” states Jim.

 

Background

 

Strike action at NIFHA, an arms-length body funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) would mark another battle by N.I public sector workers, whose real pay has been severely cut.

In 2022 an estimated 150,000 public sector workers in NI went on strike at different times. Then on January 16 20024 there were was joint strike action, the largest in more than half a century, by workers from 16 trade unions including Unite. There has also been strike action by Unite private sector members with ice cream workers at LE Pritchitts near Newtownards recently scooping a much needed 14% award, well up on the opening offer by management of 4.4%.

There are 14 ports and harbours in Northern Ireland. NIFHA is charged with improving, managing, maintaining and operating the facilities at the three fishery harbours and harbour estates of Ardglass, Kilkeel, where lobsters are the main catch, and Portavogie. These three small historic villages are sited on the Irish Sea.