Strangford Ferry: Schoolchildren face disruption during strike

Hundreds of schoolchildren who use the Strangford Ferry in County Down face disruption over the next seven days due to strike action by ferry workers.

The service will not be operational for a week, meaning commuters will have to find an alternative means of transport.

One principal said four of his pupils will be left without any way of getting to school.

The trade union Unite said members voted to strike after rejecting a pay offer of £552 extra per year.

Its general secretary, Sharon Graham, said the offer was a "slap in the face" for those responsible for the maintenance of vital public services and infrastructure.

The strike action began at 00:01 BST on Thursday and will continue until 00:00 on Wednesday 26 April.

Unite and GMB union members within the roads service and forestry service have also begun industrial action.

With a journey time of 10 minutes, the ferry crossing can save a 50-mile drive around Strangford Lough from Portaferry to Strangford.

Among those on strike is skipper Jonathon Brownlee who said any disruption was "regrettable" but staff has come "to the end of the road."

"After 15 years of austerity, our pay has now fallen about 15% behind where prices have pushed inflation," he told BBC News NI.

"In addition to that we know for a fact that we aren't being paid the market value for the job we do and we are being taken for granted."

Alan Perry of the GMB union said that the strike would have a huge impact which was "entirely avoidable".

"Workers are demanding a fair pay increase to protect themselves and their families from surging prices," he added.

One of the affected pupils, Owen, travels on the ferry to St Patrick's Grammar School in Downpatrick.

He told BBC News NI on Thursday that he may be more tired than usual but added at least it is only for a week.

"I found out on Tuesday; some people found out quicker than me, today it was just awkward getting up that bit earlier and not knowing what is going to happen," he said.

The Department for Infrastructure said it would not be able to provide the minimum number of crew needed to safely operate the ferry service and it had no option but to suspend services during the strike period.

Speaking about the wider industrial action, the department added: "While contingency arrangements are in place, to limit potential impacts as much as possible, this strike action will affect many of our routine and emergency response functions."

It said this will affect the repair of serious infrastructure defects such as manhole collapse or potholes, reduce its capacity to respond to flood emergencies and will also affect the response to incidents on the road such as oil spills.

The principal of St Patrick's Grammar said as many as 90 pupils could be affected by the suspension of the ferry service.

However, he said the Education Authority and Translink coordinated with the school to make alternative arrangements.

Mr McCann said the suspension of the ferry would add an extra 30 minutes each way to their normal journey time.

"We are delighted that our students can still get to school whilst still being respectful of the rights of Unite workers," he continued.

The Education Authority told BBC News NI that it had established contingency arrangements for 20, 21 and 24 April, which , while it was looking at plans for 25 and 26 April.

It added that those plans "may be impacted further by other industrial action taking place during this time".

James Hay, principal of St Columba's College in Portaferry, said seven of his pupils take the Strangford Ferry to school.

Three of them live in Strangford, the other lives in the countryside but none of them qualify for free transport.

"Now because those children don't have a bus pass or provision they are likely to not to have any way of getting into school," he said.

Mr Hay heard about the strike happening on Monday evening and said he was taken aback by the short notice.

Road service workers in Northern Ireland are among those striking over pay across Northern Ireland.

Aaron McGrotty, of the GMB union, was on the picket line at the Roads Service depot in Londonderry.

He said members want to work but have been left with no option but to strike following a "paltry pay offer" aimed at settling the dispute.

"It works out to around 28 pence per hour, that is absolutely disgusting for the amount of work a lot of employees do," he told BBC Radio Foyle.

"They have been underpaid for a long, long time. Enough is enough."