NIPSA condemns Magherafelt Council closing door on redundancy talks
NIPSA condemns Magherafelt Council closing door on redundancy talks
30/11/2009
Magherafelt Council Closes Door on Redundancy Talks
Click here for pdf version
The Public Service Union NIPSA has been trying to avert up to 37 compulsory redundancies at Greenvale Leisure Centre in Magherafelt, following the decision of the Council to make all staff redundant from 30 November, in order to carry out refurbishment of the Centre. The Union had sought to utilise the assistance of the Labour Relations Agency and two meetings took place with the Agency. In the past week the Council refused to return to the Agency despite NIPSA making it clear that it was prepared to engage up to the eleventh hour and beyond in order to try and mitigate against and reduce the number of redundancies.
NIPSA Assistant General Secretary, Bumper Graham said “It is our view that from day 1, back in August, this Council was determined to force through compulsory redundancies. We have put proposal after proposal to them and they have stonewalled our efforts to avoid the redundancies. The Council brought nothing to the table, refused to engage and showed absolute disdain for the negotiations but worse they displayed arrogance and contempt for their employees.” NIPSA is continuing to try and overcome the redundancies and have all the staff who want jobs reinstated, Bumper Graham said,
“It is our view that Magherafelt Council’s approach to this matter was to drag it out and get past the closure date of 30 November in the belief that the problem would go away, they have made yet another gross error by taking that position. NIPSA is taking proceedings in the Industrial Tribunals and Industrial Court against the Council. Furthermore we are raising the matter with a variety of Politicians, including the Minister of the Environment. Whilst our prime concern is in respect of the members who have been cast onto the unemployment scrapheap in the face of Christmas we are also concerned for the Magherafelt ratepayer. The Council is wasting their money, including hiring Solicitors accompanying Senior Officers to the LRA and worse by mismanaging this entire process. NIPSA has therefore written to the Department of the Environment calling for the DOE to instruct the Local Government Auditor to carry out an extraordinary audit on the refurbishment costs for Greenvale Leisure Centre.”
« back