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Many thousands of civil service workers, health and education employees, public transport staff and even PSNI staff will be taking to the streets this Thursday 18 January on a one day strike by public sector employees that will see all Translink services cancelled as well as disruption to schools, hospital appointments and ambulance cover.
Road and forestry service workers are also striking for a week from 18 January to 24 January which will also affect the gritting of roads.
It's set to be potentially the largest days of industrial action ever locally, and many services across a broad range of professions will be cancelled on the day. The industrial action comes at a time when the suspended Stormont Executive is showing no sign of a return following the DUP's exit from the Assembly in May 2022.
'Christmas Day' Service
A joint statement from the Trusts' said "Minimal and emergency services only will be available throughout Northern Ireland, similar to Christmas Day, at best.
"It is a tragedy that our colleagues, who are the backbone of our Health and Social Care service, feel they have no alternative but to take this action. We would repeat our call for all staff to be properly rewarded for their work. They understandably feel aggrieved that their counterparts in the rest of the UK have received a pay award, while they continue to work incredibly hard without receiving the same recognition, particularly during a period of high cost of living increases."
Widespread disruption
The Department of Health has spoken of widespread disruption although they will seek to protect emergency care. "While every effort will be made to mitigate the impact on the public, there will be widespread disruption to all aspects of health and social care services. This is expected to impact across a wide range of areas including planned and unplanned (urgent/emergency) hospital services, community services such as day centres, district nursing and domiciliary care as well as ambulance cover." a spokesperson said.
They added "We nevertheless believe that disruption to services will be on a scale not experienced with previous industrial action."
Fed-up
Anne Speed Head of Bargaining and Representation with UNISON said "There won’t be a workplace that is not affected next week. Indeed, in all of the major towns, big and small, workers will be stepping out to demand pay justice. They are fed up to the back teeth with low pay and no pay increases that are due to them. The Secretary of State is using political roadblocks to keep workers in a low pay and no pay deadlock.
"If our politicians get back to work then workers would not have to stop work."
Shameless blame game
Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty blasted those who are keeping the assembly closed. He said “The needs of workers have been overlooked, or used as part of some shameless blame game for far too long. Any political leader, whether it’s Chris Heaton Harris or Jeffrey Donaldson, should be ashamed that nurses, teachers and other public sector workers will again be forced to take strike action for pay justice while those with the power to deliver it sit on their hands. It is indefensible and their approach must change."
Simply unaffordable
The Department of Education Permanent Secretary, Dr Mark Browne has said that the strikes will disrupt childrens education “Teachers carry out a vital role and deserve to be paid at a fair rate for the work they do. The Department fully understands the frustration of teachers and school leaders over the ongoing absence of a pay offer. It is regrettable that the Department has been unable to offer teachers a pay award for the past three years similar to other jurisdictions, but it is simply unaffordable within an inadequate education budget.”
Assembly recall
First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill's party has initiated a recall of the Assembly this week. Ms O'Neill said “Almost a year on from the Windsor framework agreement, and two years since the DUP boycott of the Executive began, its endless two-way negotiation with the British Government has run its course.
“Time is being wasted, and essential financial resources to fund our public services now hang in the balance.
“The public want mature, pragmatic politics, they have had enough of the DUP’s time wasting and inaction.
“We have initiated a recall of the Assembly this week to restore the Executive, and urgently deliver a fair pay deal for public sector workers. It is decision time for the DUP. There can be more delays or no more excuses."
Political leverage
Unite workers are seeking the release of funds for a pay increase currently being withheld by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris as political leverage in Stormont talks.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “The funding for a pay increase for public sector workers is available but it is being cynically withheld by the secretary of state. He must immediately release this money – it is disgraceful that it is being withheld for use as political leverage.
“Unite members working in the civil service and as PSNI support staff can count on the full and continued support of their union in their fight to win a cost of living pay increase.”
