Nipsa union members at NI Water strike in Belfast and Londonderry in dispute over pay arrangements

Around 350 employees at NI Water have taken part in industrial action due to a dispute over pay arrangements.

The one-day strike by non-frontline members of the Nipsa union took place on Wednesday.

Work-to-rule action is expected to start on Thursday.

Speaking during the strike in Belfast, Nipsa general secretary Carmel Gates said: "If a solution is not found we fear there will be more action and disruption."

"Given that the weather is expected to turn for the worse, this is not a time when we want water affected.

"We are asking for management to be reasonable, come to the table and resolve the issues.

"Lets get these workers off the picket lines," Ms Gates said.

Meanwhile in Londonderry, union committee member Paddy Harkin said there is "a lot of disgruntlement and ill-feeling" amongst members.

"We have always been a year behind on our pay negotiations but now we are two or three years behind, people are asking questions.

"Front-line workers seem to agree their pay pretty quickly, but non-frontline workers' discussions seem to stall," he said.

NI Water’s Director of People & Learning, Rose Kelly said: “Ministers Kimmins and O’Dowd have authorised pay awards in line with the wider public sector for 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 that have been accepted by our frontline unions Unite and GMB.

“This dispute however centres on a technical issue around how NI Water and Nipsa negotiate pay for a section of our workforce, and the company has proposed an appropriate route for Nipsa to secure that determination.

“NI Water has made repeated efforts throughout 2025 to engage with Nipsa, including taking part in mediation earlier this month, and we remain open to continued discussion with the union," she added.

"NI Water has a pay offer ready and has encouraged Nipsa to submit a pay claim for all non-frontline employees to enable pay negotiations to commence without delay.

"We are committed to finding a way forward to ensure all our employees receive their pay settlement as quickly as possible.”

NI Water said while they are keen to avoid any form of action, they want to reassure the public that efforts are being made to minimise impact on services.

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