Members of the Water Group of Trade Unions – GMB, Unite, and Nipsa – have withdrawn from the goodwill arrangement that was struck between the parties over the festive and New Year period.
Between 23 December and 3 January the unions and NI Water had agreed a protocol designed to avoid water shortages and to protect vulnerable customers.
However, no new agreement has been reached despite “significant engagement” between the unions and NI Water to resolve differences over the changes to the pension scheme, which the GMB claims will cost many members up to £100 per month.
More than 1,000 workers represented by Nipsa, Unite, and the GMB have been taking industrial action since 22 December.
The GMB said NI Water, which maintains more than 2,700 treatment works and pumping stations, now faces “serious disruption” because union members will not respond to any calls outside of normal working hours.
The unions have also insisted that any further negotiations now take place with the assistance of the Labour Relations Agency.
A spokesperson for the Water Group of Trade Unions said: “The withdrawal of all goodwill will now mean serious disruption as our members will not respond to any calls outside of normal working hours.
“This inconvenience is completely avoidable and can end if the current proposals regarding the pension scheme are withdrawn.”
The protocol was invoked on less than 25 occasions over the Christmas period after NI Water “had exhausted all other avenues” to avert a severe impact on a large number of customers or to protect public health.
The company said the decision by the Water Group of Trade Unions to withdraw from the protocol has “significantly increased” the potential for customers to suffer disruption to their water supplies.
NI Water chief Sara Venning said: “Unfortunately with the limited resources available to NI Water outside normal working hours and with 26,000 km of watermains, 15,000 km of sewers and literally thousands of pumping stations and treatment works to be monitored and attended to if necessary, there will be an impact on services to our customers.’’
She added: “I would urge unions to reconsider their decision to withdraw from this protocol, as such an escalation would only serve to increase the risk to our customers.”