Further strike by school bus drivers to cause 'considerable disruption'

"CONSIDERABLE disruption" to school bus routes is expected as Education Authority (EA) bus drivers get ready for further strike action this Friday.

The planned strike on April 1 follows week-long strike action last week involving local councils, the Housing Executive and the Education Authority.

However, despite widespread disruption to services including bin collections, leisure services and school buses, no pay offer, which is being sought to help local workers counter the spiraling cost of living, was agreed.

Following the week-long strikes, this Friday school bus drivers, who are members of UNITE will take further strike action, which according to the Union's Lead Regional Officer for Education, Kieran Ellison, will cause "considerable disruption" to school transport.

According to Mr Ellison, the responsibility for such disruption lies with the Education Authority, who failed to make a response to last week's strike action.

Mr Ellison said: "We have notified the employer that our members working in the Education Authority will be taking a further day of strike on Friday.

“Given most of these workers are school bus drivers, it is likely that this strike action will result in considerable disruption to school transport.

"Full responsibility for this lies with the Education Authority who have failed to make any response even after the first week of strike action. We are calling on them to come forward with a realistic pay offer to address our members’ pay expectations.”

The strike announcement comes ahead of a meeting involving workforce reps from across all NJC-pay sectors this week which is likely to determine the union’s wider strategy to win improvements to pay.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham paid tribute to the continued efforts of her members in local authorities and Education.

She said: “Workers in local authorities, housing executive and education in Northern Ireland launched their campaign to win a decent pay deal with a powerful first week of strike action.

“If they don’t want more of the same these employers will have to come to the table with a realistic offer. The workers can count on my union’s full support every step of the way.”