Northern Ireland hit by mass strike

– Tens of thousands of public sector workers in Northern Ireland walked off the job yesterday, in what one union boss said could be the biggest strike in the province.

The mass strike, dubbed a “coordinated day of action”, was predicted to cause havoc to already crumbling public services.

The walkouts come with no end in sight to a protracted political crisis that has left the UK province without devolved government for almost two years.

Around 16 trade unions representing teachers, civil servants, nurses and transport workers were expected to join picket lines and rallies, organisers said.

Six rallies were to take place across Belfast, with two in Londonderry and one in Enniskillen.

Trades union chief Owen Reidy said he expected yesterday to be the “largest industrial dispute in the history of Northern Ireland”.

“Public service workers in Northern Ireland are being used as political pawns by this discredited Tory government,” said

Reidy, who is general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).

“Many of these workers have not had a pay increase for three years despite... the cost of living crisis. The money is available but workers are being held to ransom.”

The Ictu estimated that 170 000 of the 220 000 public sector union workers would stop work to demand the release of held-up funding for pay increases.

The health department warned there would be a “significantly reduced health service” and people were advised “to reduce your chances of needing health service treatment”. Authorities said healthcare services would be severely depleted, although emergency care would be available. –

Money is available but workers are being held to ransom