NI Unison Members Vote For Strike Action

Members of the union Unison are to go on strike next month.

The industrial action involves those in health and social services, as well as schools and education sectors.

81% of members voted in favour of strike action, with 91.8% in favour of other industrial action.

According to the union, 75% of its members in education voted in favour of strike action, with 84% in favour of other industrial action.

The move is being taken in response to service cuts and job losses throughout the sector.

Unison is the first union to declare such action, which is thought to take place next month. Other forms of ongoing industrial action being prepared my members include work to rule and selective action.

Patricia McKeown, Regional Secretary, UNISON, said: "Our members are in a determined mood to take on the worst service cuts and job loss proposals we have ever seen.

"It is intolerable for government and public sector employers to extract further cuts from services already straining under the pressure of seven years of budget cuts.

"We are hearing strong determination to take action from groups such as nurses who are working under increasing pressure and, in many cases, unsafe staffing levels.

"We are witnessing the same determination from homecare workers who have been forced on to zero-hours contracts, equally unsafe working practices and who are bedevilled by privatisation.

"In our schools, everyone from the crossing patrols to the school meals staff, the school caretaking and cleaning staff and classroom assistants have borne the brunt of massive cuts in the schools' budgets and are now facing more.

She added: "We have explained why our members are being forced to take action. We have called for the public to stand with us. The response has been totally supportive.

"This is the beginning of a fightback by public service workers and the public themselves."

(JP/CD)