Over 100,000 public sector workers in Northern Ireland, including teachers, nurses, and bus drivers, are set to strike on Thursday in an ongoing dispute over pay. The coordinated action between 16 trade unions is expected to be the biggest strike in the region in 50 years, with the strike leading to the closure of schools, disrupted health services and halting of buses and trains. People are advised to make essential journeys only, as the combination of cold weather and insufficient road gritting makes it more hazardous.
Many public sector workers in Northern Ireland are paid less than their counterparts in the rest of the UK, and combined with the cost-of-living crisis, and ongoing political instability due to the region’s lack of devolved government for nearly two years, led to a series of strikes in recent months. Thursday’s strike is set to be more significant, with 16 unions joining together for the generalised day of action.
The Department of Health has urged people to take care to reduce the chances of needing health service treatment, as most cancer services, including chemotherapy treatment, will not go ahead. Even though these services ran as usual during previous strikes, this is unlikely to happen due to emergency-only GPs, the cancellation of scheduled hospital appointments, and a significant reduction in health services.
The strike is causing widespread disruption as Translink bus and train services and non-major road gritting are cancelled, along with the courts and tribunals that are offering a limited service. Ashleen Quigley, a home care assistant in Limavady, has expressed her concern, advocating for the strike to be postponed due to serious weather warnings regarding icy roads as she is anxious about going out to visit people who require care
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