26/01/2023

20,000 Health And Social Care Workers Strike Across NI

Over 20,000 health and social care workers across Northern Ireland are participating in a one-day strike action in a dispute over a failure to deliver a cost-of-living pay increase.

Members of Unite, Unison and Nipsa across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service returned an average 87% vote in favour of strike action.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite's members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and rejected the government's derisory pay offer, which is a real terms pay cut.

"These strikes are being taken as an absolute last resort. Our members are seeing the NHS eroded before their eyes and patients' lives are being placed at risk due to chronic underfunding.

"In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, the responsibility for this strike lies squarely with Rishi Sunak who has failed to show leadership and ensure that NHS bosses made a realistic offer to the workers who keep our health and social care services running."

Unite's lead regional officer for health in Northern Ireland, Kevin McAdam, said: "Nobody should be in any doubt regarding our members' determination to defend their living standards amidst an unprecedented cost of living crisis.

"Our members will be joining members of other health trade unions on the picket lines tomorrow, and Unite has already notified employers that we will also be taking action on 16, 17, 23 and 24 February."


Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

01 August 2014
Govt Workers Announce Strike Action For 14 October
Strike action has been announced by council workers in October, in a dispute over pay. Unison, Unite and GMB workers in Northern Ireland, England and Wales, have announced that they will "escalate" the pay dispute with the srike on 14 October. It is understood that almost 1 million workers are represented by the three unions.
17 January 2024
People Urged To 'Keep Themselves Safe' This Thursday
People across Northern Ireland have been urged to "keep themselves safe" on Thursday, with snow and ice forecast and widespread disruption to public services anticipated as a result of strike action.
25 October 2024
Health Minister Unveils New Initiative To Tackle Health Inequalities
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has announced the launch of Live Better, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing health inequalities in Northern Ireland. The program will initially focus on neighbourhoods in Belfast and L'Derry, with plans to expand to other communities if successful.
30 November 2023
Austerity Budget Blamed For Bus And Rail Strike
An austerity budget imposed by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, has been blamed for the first bus and rail strike in Northern Ireland since 2015. Translink NI workers with Unite, GMB and SIPTU will begin a 24-hour, network wide, strike from midnight tonight, in a pay dispute.
17 April 2024
Funding And Action Plan Needed For Children's Health Waiting Lists
Funding and an expertly researched action plan are needed to address children's health waiting lists if Northern Ireland is to avoid developing a two-tier health system. This was the message Alliance Health spokesperson Nuala McAllister MLA following the publication of a new report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).