TSSA members at Translink to strike during the Open 

Hundreds of TSSA members in Translink are to strike over pay, with dates scheduled to coincide with the Open golf championship at Portrush. 

Walkouts will take place on Friday the 18th and Saturday 19th of July raising the prospect of a complete stoppage of rail services, and impacting on bus services. An offer received from Translink on Wednesday was rejected by TSSA as it failed to address members’ aspirations. 

*The industrial action is therefore due to commence for Northern Ireland Railways from 00:01 on Friday 18th July 2025 until 23:59 on Saturday 19th July 2025. 

*In Ulsterbus - the strike action will take place from 00:01 on Friday 18th July 2025 until 23:59 on Saturday 19th July 2025.  

TSSA members at Northern Ireland Railways and Ulsterbus (operating as Translink) strongly backed the industrial action in a dispute mainly over pay. Members who work in Supervisor Grades (including railway controllers) as well as Clerical, Management, Professional & Technical Grades (MPT) overwhelmingly voted for both strike action and action short of a strike.   

Within Supervisor grades at N I Railways support for strike action was over 90 per cent in favour. There were similar results in other areas – including Ulsterbus and Management grades at N I Railways with over 80 per cent support.     

Commenting, Maryam Eslamdoust, General Secretary, TSSA said: “We are keen to meet Translink to resolve the ongoing disputes for all our members. However, so far, the company has only made an inadequate offer to the Supervisor grades and completely ignored our Clerical and MPT members. This is not the way to resolve a pay dispute. 

“I met the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, last week to impress the urgency of this issue. Regrettably, it seems that both Translink and the Minister are sitting on their hands and hoping that these disputes will go away. That’s simply not going to happen. 

“Ultimately the responsibility for any disruption during The Open rests with Translink and the Minister. All we are asking for is the same deal that has been offered to other staff in Translink. The company is trying to fob us off with less, but TSSA members have shown with their overwhelming support in the ballot for strike action that they are not prepared to accept that. 

“TSSA urges Translink to return to the table immediately with a fair and meaningful offer for all our members. Otherwise, we’ll see them on the picket line.” 

TSSA represents Clerical, Administrative, Supervisory and Managerial staff in Ulsterbus and NI Railways, as well as Technical staff in NI Railways.     

Translink is the trading name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), a public corporation that provides the public transport in the region.     

NITHCo responsibilities include holding and managing property assets and the oversight, in terms of support, control and supervision, of its private limited subsidiary companies: Ulsterbus, Metro and Northern Ireland (NI) Railways, trading jointly as Translink.    

TSSA is an independent trade union for the transport and travel industries. We have thousands of members right across the UK and Ireland, working for the railways and associated companies, as well as ferries, bus services and the travel trade.