Up to 1,000 staff in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are on strike today after pay talks with trade unions collapsed.
Members of the Unite, GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU trade unions began their strike from 6am.
Unite members from Newry Mourne & Down District Council out on the picket line at Greenbank this morning fighting for pay equality! ? ? pic.twitter.com/jI5kaD1jTM
— Unite the Union NI (@UniteunionNI) December 3, 2020
All council services, apart from funerals and weddings, are expected to be affected.
The long-running dispute stems from pay differences arising from the merger of the former Down District Council with Newry and Mourne District Council.
A council spokesman said it had made several offers to unions, including putting all refuse collectors on the same pay grades.
However, in a joint statement, the unions blamed council management for the "avoidable" industrial dispute.
"The point in contention is that for those workers whose pay grades are re-evaluated upwards, they will lose all pay progression accrued and will start at the bottom of the new grades," the unions said.
"This is not acceptable to our members – it is a pay equality issue."
The council spokesman said it was "disappointed that the JTUS (joint trade union side) is continuing with plans for strike action in light of the pay proposals put forward together with management side's acceptance of the five other requests of the JTUS".
He said the council will continue to work with the Labour Relations Agency and have discussions with the unions to try and resolve the dispute.
Pickets are being held at Monaghan Row council offices and Greenbank council depot in Newry, and Downshire Civic Centre and Strangford Road depot in Downpatrick, Co Down.
