Strike goes ahead

As strike action among NHS staff in the rest of the nation was suspended following a pay offer now being put to members, Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK that will participate in the health worker strike commencing today (January 29).

 
The union’s Northern Ireland members are following through with industrial action after the region’s health department refused to negotiate on pay.

 
Unite lead officer for health, Kevin McAdam, explained that the region’s members had no other choice but to go forward with the strike after Northern Ireland’s health department refused to engage with the unions.

 
“Our members have been refused the pay review body’s recommendation of 1 per cent from April 2014.” McAdam said. “The department seeks to confuse incremental pay with a cost of living rise and have advised of a one percent non-consolidated increase instead. This hasn’t even been put in place by the department and our members have decided that industrial action is necessary.”

 
It is estimated that up to 3,000 health workers will participate in strike action today.

 
Under current proposals from the health department in Northern Ireland, only workers at the top of the pay scale will be given a one-off payment equivalent to one percent. This payment will not be added to pay and will not count towards pensions but will be fully liable for tax and national insurance.

 
Unite and the other participating union, GMB, argue that the independent pay review body (PRB), which was set up by the government for the express purpose of determining health worker pay, was ignored when it recommended an across-the-board 1 per cent pay rise. In England, Scotland and Wales, the failure to implement the PRB’s recommendation has since been resolved.

 
McAdam argued that industrial action is fully justified, especially in light of the fact that NHS staff have suffered attack after attack on their pay, terms and conditions for years.

 
“Over the past years, our members in the health service have experienced cuts in service and recruitment freezes, with remaining staff being asked to stretch further and further,” he said. “Health workers’ pay has been eroded by 15 per cent over the past four years while their pension contributions have increased three per cent over the last three years.”

 
Unite and the GMB have sought to minimise any inconvenience to the public by implementing emergency protocols during the strike.

 
“We would stress that our argument is with the department and the minister,” McAdam said. “Emergency cover will be provided and assurances have been given that in the event of a major incident Unite members will respond immediately from the picket line.”

 
McAdam went on to say that health workers were not only standing up for themselves, but also for their friends, family and the public at large who rely on the service.

 
“We’re standing up for a good and effective service and for a service that cares about people not pounds,” he said.

 
Striking health and ambulance workers will gather for a lunch-time protest at the Royal Victory Hospital today (January 29).
Stay tuned on UNITElive for the latest on the health staff dispute in Northern Ireland.