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NI Water dispute: Stormont committee to hear of disruption NI Water dispute: Minister says 1,200 customers are without water
(about 3 hours later)
Stormont's regional development committee is to hold an urgent meeting over a dispute that is disrupting water supplies at thousands of properties. About 1,200 customers are currently without a water supply due to an industrial dispute, the regional development minister has confirmed.
Discussions went on until late on Tuesday night, but agreement could not be reached in a dispute about proposed pension changes that has been going on for over four weeks. Danny Kennedy is addressing an emergency meeting of Stormont's regional development committee to brief MLAs on the latest situation.
NI Water said a final offer was made to unions and will be put to staff later. He repeated his apology to customers.
The pensions dispute between NI Water and its employees has disrupting water supplies at thousands of properties over the last few weeks.
The areas affected are mainly counties Londonderry, Fermanagh and Tyrone.The areas affected are mainly counties Londonderry, Fermanagh and Tyrone.
Out-of-hours repairs are not being made due to a row over pension changes. The committee, which holds the Department of Regional Development to account, is questioning the minister and senior staff at NI Water about their handling of the dispute that has been going on for more than a month.
Mr Kennedy told MLAs he was "limited" in what he could say in public about ongoing talks between unions and management aimed at resolving the row.
Discussions went on until late on Tuesday night, but agreement could not be reached.
NI Water said a final offer was made to unions and will be put to staff later.
Last month, Nipsa, Unite and GMB members voted for a work-to-rule and withdrawal of on-call services and overtime, and as a result out-of-hours repairs are not being carried out.
On Tuesday, more than 1,000 school children spent the day at home and about 7,500 properties were cut off.On Tuesday, more than 1,000 school children spent the day at home and about 7,500 properties were cut off.
Water supply was restored to about 4,550 properties in County Tyrone late on Tuesday. An agreement was reached just before Christmas between NI Water and trade unions which meant people would not be without water supply for more than 24 hours.
However, about 3,200 properties in West Tyrone and Fermanagh remain cut off. Mr Kennedy said on Tuesday that if there was no resolution of the dispute, the emergency protocol that was in place over Christmas must be re-instated.
On Wednesday, Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy and representatives from NI Water will brief the regional development committee about the disruption.
On Tuesday, Mr Kennedy said talks between unions and management must continue until "this is thrashed out and resolved".
He was speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly after earlier taking part in talks at the Labour Relations Agency in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
Last month, Nipsa, Unite and GMB members voted for a work-to-rule and withdrawal of on-call services and overtime.
However, an agreement was reached just before Christmas between NI Water and trade unions which meant people would not be without water supply for more than 24 hours.
Mr Kennedy said if there was no resolution of the dispute, the emergency protocol that was in place over Christmas must be re-instated.
NI Water has a postcode search on its website for customers to check for the latest information on supply disruption in their areas.NI Water has a postcode search on its website for customers to check for the latest information on supply disruption in their areas.