Council set to meet with unions amid safety row at Larne Port

By PA

Leaders of a Northern Ireland council are to hold talks with trade unions amid the fallout from its controversial decision to remove staff from post-Brexit port checks.

Trade unions had denied raising concerns about staff number plate details being gathered by suspicious individuals at Larne Port prior to Mid and East Antrim Council’s decision to withdraw workers last Monday over safety concerns.

DUP mayor Peter Johnson, who referenced the unions when he highlighted concerns about number plates, has now clarified that it was not the unions who raised the issue with the council.

The council’s decision to pull environmental health workers out of the facilities has been questioned after police went public last week to state there was no credible threat to staff.

A council spokesman said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and the unions share a commitment to always prioritise and protect the best interests of Council employees.

“With this in mind, the mayor and chief executive (Anne Donaghy) plan to meet with union officials in the coming days.

“The mayor has clarified publicly remarks made at a meeting of full council and is happy for the avoidance of any doubt to reiterate that comments made were in relation to correspondence from a trade union and other stakeholders.

“The reference to number plates was not within the union correspondence, and council is happy to clarify this again.”