Northern Ireland strike: top civil servant calls for urgent funding

Northern Ireland Civil Service Secretary Jane Brady called for the release of pay suspension funds. thursday strike.

“We need to make an immediate budget allocation,” Brady said.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said: “It is unfortunate that the communications were leaked at this sensitive time.”

Almost £600 million has been promised in salary claims if the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) returns to Stormont.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the funding was available as part of a wider £3.3bn package to reinstate the Northern Ireland Executive.

Ms Brady said this was “one of the last opportunities to avoid strike action scheduled for this week”.

In a letter to Heaton-Harris, she appealed for greater urgency.

“You have said publicly that the UK government cannot and will not sit back and tolerate further decline in public services and public finances,” she said.

“This Thursday will be the biggest day of industrial action in a generation, reflecting the strength of sentiment and the deteriorating and frankly untenable position we currently find ourselves in. .

“Urgent action is needed to address unacceptable public sector pay inequality.”

A spokesperson for the NIO said: “Our absolute priority and full focus is to ensure that our recovered executives serve the people and workers of Northern Ireland.”

“We have delivered a fair and generous package worth £3 billion, which will help the Recovered Executive address a range of pressing issues in this round, from public sector pay to support to ensure sustainable public services. It will help address the issue,” the spokesperson said.

“This proposal is being considered for parties to move forward at pace.”

The DUP said it was not yet ready to return to devolved government because the government had not taken sufficient steps to address concerns about post-Brexit trade deals.

There has been no devolved government since the institution was brought down by the DUP in February 2022.

Teachers, nurses, civil servants, bus drivers and train drivers will be on the picket line Thursday.

In total, tens of thousands of workers from 15 unions will take part in the massive strike.

On Monday, Mr Heaton-Harris held further discussions with the parties.

He said he would set out next steps “in due course”, which could include developing basic legislation at Westminster, but gave no further details.

DUP leader Sir Geoffrey Donaldson said “significant progress” had been made on this issue, but said more work needed to be done on Stormont’s finances.

Stormont Parliament will meet on Wednesday following the success of the Sinn Féin recall petition.

Every time the DUP blocks the election of a Speaker, parliamentary work becomes impossible.