The historic shipyard that built the Titanic is now facing potential strikes due to plans to mandate Friday work.
Members of the GMB union at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast shipyard voted overwhelmingly for industrial action on Monday, responding to proposals to extend their working hours.
Management is looking to shift from a four-day workweek to a mandatory five-day schedule as the workload at the shipyard increases.
The Belfast yard is currently engaged in several projects, including building a series of barges for London waste company Cory, repairing a floating oil production and storage vessel for Cenovus Energy, and overhauling a retirement cruise vessel. Additionally, the shipyard is preparing for a significant £1.6bn contract to construct a Royal Navy supply ship.
However, the plan to extend working hours has ignited outrage among workers, who currently receive overtime pay for working Fridays under agreements secured by unions decades ago.
As first reported by the Belfast Telegraph, the decision to support industrial action means that approximately 100 GMB members could potentially walk out with as little as two weeks’ notice.
They have also not ruled out other forms of industrial action, such as “working to rule” or imposing overtime bans.
This dispute threatens to plunge the company into even deeper turmoil, particularly amid existing concerns about its future.
Harland & Wolff has been seeking a £200m loan guarantee from the Government, which executives claim is crucial for its growth plans. However, approval has been delayed due to legal concerns over whether the Government’s support would violate state aid rules, partly because of the company’s plan to launch a ferry service to the Isles of Scilly, as previously revealed by The Telegraph.
Neither the GMB nor Harland & Wolff commented on the industrial dispute. Company executives are scheduled to meet with union representatives on Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to reach a compromise.
At the meeting, Harland & Wolff is expected to propose an increase in worker pay in exchange for the change in working hours, The Telegraph understands.
The GMB’s push to secure a mandate for industrial action, supported by 98.7% of its members who were balloted, aims to provide the union with greater leverage in the upcoming discussions.
A spokesman for Harland & Wolff stated on Tuesday, “Negotiations are ongoing, and we do not comment on ongoing discussions.”
