Striking workers make sure their voices are heard on the Newry picket lines

Despite one of the coldest days of the year yet, striking workers were willing to stand on picket lines throughout Newry today in the hope of having their demands answered, as part of the Northern Ireland wide public service worker strike. One of the largest protests took place at Daisy Hill Hospital with union members from UNISON, NIPSA, RCN and BDA striking for pay parity and better working conditions. Union members from local schools also protested outsider their workplaces while Translink staff protested at Newry Bus Station.

At Daisy Hill Hospital Community Nurse, Edna Grant, a Board Member of RCN NI was there to help make sure their voices were heard "The reason for this strike today is that we are once again findng ourselves outside of pay parity with the other nurses in the four countries of the UK. We were here four years ago on picket lines. Stormont was out then as well. Everything was resolved at that stage and we were assured that we would never find ourselves as the lowest paid nurses in the UK again, but unfortunately, here we are, despondent, but the only way we're going to find any means of changing this is to make our voices heard in numbers, which is why we're on picket lines this morning."

Grant added "I think initially, we had hoped that there would be an easier resolution to this, which is why the RCN hasn't been on picket lines from last year. Unfortunately, the voice of nursing does seem to have been pushed to the side slightly. But it's not just our voices, It's the voice of our patients, It's not being heard either. People aren't getting the treatment and the care that they need or deserve which is very frustrating."

Also striking was UNISON member Deirdre Murphy who said that politicians are getting paid very well not to go to work "they're holding the state to ransom and getting paid for it. It is outrageous. It's beyond outrageous. It's totally immoral." she said.

Higher Executive Officer from NIPSA, Peter Boyle said "We're striking because of pay parity but most important is to keep the services going within the health service. People don't realise the cuts that are being put on our health service by the government. Frankly it's shocking. There's no money in the pot but there's money when there needs to be money. When they need to find it, they'll find it. It's just games, morning noon and night, that's all they're playing -  games, playing with people's lives."

Boyle added "Mr. Heaton Harris at the start said there was no money available. Next thing there's a pot available. We have it set aside but it's up to Stormont to give it out. But sure he's the civil servant. He has the power to actually to sign the cheque, but he's this political pawn, It's a game."

Unison rep Margretta Chambers said that workers are being used for blackmail "If Chris Heaton Harris would come out of hiding today and face the people and get us out of this nightmare by making a decision, instead of using us for blackmail to try and get government back going again."

Echoing the determination of the striking workers Chambers concluded "We're still determined to get what we want, and what we need, and what the people out there need as well - Better paying conditions, parity pay for a start, more staff and a fairer system."