More death threats against public sector staff

Paramilitary groups that have been involved in assaulting and encouraging attacks on public sector personnel, have struck out again – this time at hospital workers.

Yesterday a caller to a Belfast newsroom, claiming to represent a group called the Catholic Reaction Force, said it would murder a total of three members of staff from the Royal Victoria Hospital and Mater hospitals.

Earlier today, Unison members at the Mater Hospital voted to strike on Tuesday in protest at the development. Staff at the Royal and Ulster hospitals could follow suit.

Management and union bosses had issued a statement saying that it was "totally unacceptable" that staff should be threatened as they endeavoured to serve each community equally.

NIO Minister Des Browne condemned the threats, saying the workforce of Northern Ireland was being "blackmailed".

“Once again the Northern Ireland workforce is being blackmailed to stay away from their jobs,” he said.

“This is a threat not only against the workers. It is an attempt to hold the peace process to hostage. It will not be allowed to succeed."

Sinn Féin assembly member Sue Ramsey has said that all threats to hospital workers, and indeed all public sector staff, are "totally unacceptable".

The Catholic Reaction Force, which has links with the INLA and the IPLO, have been blamed for the murder of three people in the past. The group had been active in the Holy Cross dispute last year and, on that occasion, they issued letters to Protestant residents saying they would targeted if the protests continued.

There had already been a huge outcry against such developments in Londonderry at the weekend after a threat was made against the life of a Royal Mail worker.

Staff suspended services on Saturday following the death threat, but voted to return to work today – although some workers were still said to be too afraid to return to the Waterside sorting office.

Royal Mail welcomed the news and said that it would "remain vigilant" against any further threats.

The targeting of public sector workers by paramilitaries has become a sinister trend with fire fighters and ambulance crew now reporting dozens of assaults and acts of aggression against them every month.

The worst single act against public sector workers this year occurred on January 12, when the UDA murdered a 19-year-old Catholic postman as he arrived for work at Rathcoole in Belfast.

(GMcG)