Health workers will be paid strike action wage
ONE year after starting strike action, health workers in Northern Ireland will finally be reimbursed for pay they lost on the picket lines.
Last December, nurses and other healthcare workers went on strike over a longstanding pay dispute which called for equal treatment with other UK regions.
Health Minister Robin Swann agreed a pay deal in January as one of his first decisions in the role, and by March it was agreed the lost strike money would be repaid.
Frontline workers have since been facing the threat of coronavirus, with agreement on the repayments only reached by the Executive on Tuesday.
It’s understood the money will now be repaid within weeks.
Addressing t he delay, Mr Swann said: “This is a complex issue, involving legal considerations and the question of whether a precedent could be set for industrial action across many different workforces.
“These are, of course, unprecedented times with our health service workers facing unprecedented pressures.
“I have worked hard to find a way through these complexities.”
First Minister Arlene Foster welcomed that the “unintended consequences” of the payment delays had now been resolved, and thanked health workers for their service during the pandemic.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill recognised the “huge personal sacrifices” from health workers this year.
“They have our heartfel t thanks and I hope that when they see their money reimbursed in their pay packets, they know just how much they are valued and respected.”
Sinn Fein’s health spokesperson, Colm Gildernew MLA, added that it was “unacceptable” that it has taken six months for the dispute to be resolved.