Northern Ireland public sector workers vow ‘this is not the end’ of large-scale industrial action – Irish Times

Striking workers vowed “this is not the end” and will continue their campaign after massive industrial action by trade unions brought Northern Ireland to a virtual standstill on Thursday.

Schools have been closed, public transport has been grounded and snow has fallen as members of 17 trade unions representing 170,000 workers hold picket lines in an ongoing dispute over wages and public sector funding. Roads covered in water were not paved and only emergency medical care was provided.

Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said on Thursday that “all aspects” of health and social care were affected and the health service was under “significant pressure”, warning of “further delays” for people seeking emergency treatment. did.

The Ministry of Infrastructure warned on Friday that North Korea’s road network “remains unsafe for movement” and that paving work would likely resume “on a limited basis” and be limited to main roads only. Road users should “think carefully” about the need to travel on Friday, it said.

On picket lines and rallies on Thursday, unions called on the Northern Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, to immediately raise the public sector pay bill by decoupling the necessary funding from the broader £3.3 billion proposal being put forward by the UK. I have repeatedly requested that this be resolved. If Stormont Parliament and the Executive are restored, so will the government.

Mr Heaton-Harris has so far given no indication that he intends to do so, instead saying public sector pay is a devolved issue and urging a restoration of northern political institutions. There is.

Three of the unions involved – Unite, GMB and Shipto – have said they will meet on Friday to discuss next steps, with other unions expected to meet soon.

Nipsa Labor general secretary Carmel Gates spoke at the Stormont picket line and said her members were “angry and we’re not going to back down.

“This is not a temporary battle,” she said. “This is how things started. It escalated.

“The Secretary of State needs to know this is not the end.”

Gerry Murphy, assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), told the thousands who attended the rally at Belfast City Hall that the obstacles remaining were: [Mr] “Heaton-Harris refuses to accept reality and continues to pursue a failed political strategy.”

“We will overcome that strategy as well. This battle will continue until we win, and we will win.”

Veteran trade unionist and campaigner Eamon McCann, who spoke at the Derry rally, said Labor was a “sleeping giant” in Northern Ireland society and said in an interview that civil disobedience “may be necessary” in the conflict. ” he said.

Some called on the DUP, which continues to block the restoration of parliament and the executive, to end its boycott and rejoin North Korea’s power-sharing government.

Speaking at the Belfast rally, Justin McCamphill, from teachers’ union NASUWT, said: “We fully understand that the issues arising from Brexit are problematic, but these issues do not fit within an agreed political framework. It has to be dealt with internally.”

He said: “The Tories have taken our money. The DUP should not take our hope.”

Politicians including Sinn Féin vice-president and first minister-designate Michelle O’Neill and Alliance leader Naomi Long, who visited the polls on Thursday, repeatedly called on the DUP to re-enter Stormont.

But DUP MP Gregory Campbell told the BBC that it was “nonsense” that the party was blocking workers from getting pay rises, adding that the UK government was offering “some kind of ransom to force workers into forced labor”. We are holding that money back.” pawn. ”

The deadline for the restoration of the parliamentary and executive branches expired at midnight, so in theory the Northern Secretary would be legally obliged to call a new parliamentary election within 12 weeks, but he already intends to legislate for a further extension. It shows. – Additional reporting PA

• Apply push alert Get the best news, analysis and commentary delivered straight to your phone
• search Irish Times on WhatsApp Stay up to date
• The In The News podcast is published daily – find the latest episode here