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The Department for Infrastructure has said that if current weather warnings remain in place the public should avoid travel if possible this Thursday 18 January due to strike action affecting their services including winter gritting. Strikers are demanding a pay increase but DfI say that pressures on public finances make this impossible "Given wider pressures on public finances, it has not been possible to make a pay offer to staff" a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added "If the current weather warnings remain in place, we would advise people to avoid travel, if possible, on Thursday, 18 January 2024. Where people need to travel, drivers and other road users will need to take particular care on Thursday and Friday given the potential for icy conditions and ongoing disruption to gritting."
A Yellow warning is currently in place for snow and ice from now until Thursday although presently Wednesday and Thursdays warning doesn't include the Newry area.
The Department are putting contingency plans in place, but it is expected that there will be widespread disruption affecting:
- Winter service – gritting of the road network;
- Repair of serious infrastructure defects such as manhole collapse or potholes;
- Prioritisation of assistance to those incidents with most impact to life and property;
- Response and clear-up operation when there are incidents on the road such as oil spills or unexpected debris;
- Drainage infrastructure clearing and cleansing;
- MOT services and driving tests;
- Strangford Ferry services;
- Significantly reduce our capacity to respond to flood emergencies;
- Significant delays in responding to calls to the flood incident line.
Without people to deliver these essential services DfI say there is limited mitigation possible to preserve the normal protection to road users.
"We will not know the precise number of staff available until the days of strike action which means it could be Thursday morning before the full impact will be known and understood. The Department will, however, only be able to deliver a fraction of its normal gritting service.
"The Department also appreciates the additional impact that other aspects of industrial disputes will have on 18 January. Our colleagues in the Department of Health have advised people to take sensible steps to reduce their chances of requiring their services on the day. Similarly, we would ask that, where possible, people think carefully about whether they need to travel – particularly if temperatures drop below freezing as currently forecast." the spokesperson said.
Immediately following the day of action, members of the GMB and Unite unions will continue with a week of industrial action until 26 January 2024 with gritting services affected once again.
Winter service, response to road and flood emergencies, clean-up repairs to infrastructure and delays in responding to calls to the flood line are therefore expected to be further disrupted from 19-25 of January.
Members of the public should continue to report defects on the road network using NI Direct: Problems with roads and streets | nidirect
At all times travellers on the roads are advised to exercise caution.
