Magherafelt not affected by strike action
Thursday, 17 July 2008
MAGHERAFELT residents are breathing a huge sigh of relief today, Wednesday July 16, as it was revealed that their council is among the few in the entire North where services, including bin collection, will not be affected by the two-day strike by council workers over pay.
A spokesperson for Magherafelt District Council confirmed to the Northern Constitution that its workers would not be participating in the strike and that all services would be running as normal.
Magherafelt council workers did not partake in the strike as they are members of the GMB union which voted not to strike. Dungannon and Moyle councils were unaffected by the action for the same reason.
Unfortunately people in Cookstown have not been as lucky as their council opted to strike which means their bin collection will be disrupted.
A spokesperson for Cookstown District Council commented: "Owing to National Strike Action on July 16 and 17 2008, Cookstown District Council wish to inform householders of the following refuse collection arrangements:-
“Black bin contents due for collection on Wednesday July 16 will be collected on Monday July 21 and black bin contents due for collection on Thursday July 17 will be collected on Tuesday July 22 instead.
"Blue Recycling Bin and Brown Garden Waste Bin contents will not be collected until next due collection date."
“The council would like to apologise for an inconvenience caused," concluded the spokesperson.
Many councils and other local government bodies across the province are to participate in the 48 hour strike in protest to a pay offer of 2.5 percent.
A council spokesperson said that for districts affected, the strike would result in the disruption of the bin collection service meaning that bins would be collected on July 30 and 31 instead.
