Northern Ireland

Stormont reviews no-deal Brexit plans as trade union calls for staff boycott

Stormont Parliment Buildings, Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
Stormont Parliment Buildings, Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann Stormont Parliment Buildings, Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann

STORMONT chiefs are re-assessing staffing levels for no-deal Brexit as a trade union calls for members to boycott the plans.

Staff have been asked to volunteer for "Command, Control and Coordination" (C3) structures, which Stormont officials plan to operate if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The contingency plans may involve staff moving onto a 24/7 rota for up to six months, with employees offered bonuses of up to £1,500 to volunteer.

But the north's largest civil service union has asked its members to withdraw from C3 plans due to an ongoing dispute with management over staff pay and conditions.

It is understood Stormont chiefs are reviewing their plans, and a further call for new volunteers has been made.

Those who volunteered previously ahead of the original Brexit deadline in March are also being asked if they are still willing to take part in the contingency measures.

However if Brexit happens as scheduled on October 31, it is believed staff could be more reluctant to volunteer and face potentially working outside their normal hours during the winter months.

Nipsa's general secretary Alison Millar said the decision was taken last month by its civil service executive committee to ask members to not take part in C3 roles.

"As part of our industrial action on pay terms and conditions we have asked our members not to volunteer for the C3 Brexit hubs," she said.

"We believe our members are being asked to deliver vital public services in relation to Brexit and they are not valued by their employer."

Ms Millar said Nipsa has around 16,000 members in the civil service.

She said they were "getting good feedback" about the decision, with union branches receiving correspondence about staff withdrawing from C3.

"Our members feel undervalued. As part of the industrial action our members are saying enough is enough, and if you want us to do this vital work you need to pay us appropriately," she said.

"I would call on civil service management to enter into meaningful negotiations to help resolve this dispute."

C3 volunteers had been sought in December last year, and a further recruitment drive took place in February with an extra bonus 'completion payment' added to the terms.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service has around 23,000 staff.

A spokeswoman for the Executive Office said: "The Northern Ireland Civil Service has established a programme of work to deal with the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.

"As part of this, we have put in place robust contingency arrangements across all departments to deal with all potential outcomes."