Belfast, 01 May 2026 – A group of Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) veterinarians represented by Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) will begin industrial action from 1 May following an overwhelming vote in favour of action in a statutory ballot.
The dispute involves over 30 vets across all areas of Northern Ireland and relates to a long standing pay and grading issue that has remained unresolved for more than ten years.
In the ballot, 92% of members voted in favour of action short of strike action, with 88% also backing strike action if required, highlighting the depth of frustration among staff.
As part of the first phase of industrial action from 1 May, Veterinary Inspectors will withdraw from all on call rotas, cease participation in online training systems and stop providing training or informal support to new and agency staff. Action will also include the withdrawal of supervision and approval processes linked to on-farm TB testing of cattle.
NIPSA has warned that if the dispute continues, the action will escalate on a phased basis.
The union says continued refusal by DAERA to engage will have a direct impact on farmers, the agri food sector and animal disease control, including TB testing capacity and emergency response cover. This comes at a time when the Department is already facing critical shortages of veterinary staff and an ongoing reliance on agency provision, with DAERA vets playing a vital role in the supervision and approval of private vets carrying out TB testing.
NIPSA stressed that any impact on services is entirely avoidable and is the direct result of DAERA management’s failure to resolve the dispute.
NIPSA Assistant Secretary Alan Law said:
“This ballot result sends a clear and powerful message. Our members are angry, morale is extremely low, and staff feel deeply undervalued after more than a decade of unfair treatment. Veterinary Inspectors have been carrying out work that is identical to higher graded colleagues but have not been treated equally.
“NIPSA has made repeated attempts to resolve this through engagement, but DAERA has refused to negotiate in good faith. At the same time, the Department continues to struggle with recruitment and retention and relies heavily on agency staff.
“Any disruption arising from this industrial action is completely avoidable. Responsibility rests squarely with DAERA management. This dispute now requires urgent ministerial intervention, and we are formally engaging with the Minister and MLAs to ensure it receives the attention it deserves.”
NIPSA says it remains open to meaningful negotiations and is calling on DAERA to act now to prevent further escalation.
ENDS
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