Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STANDING FIRM
Union vows to continue walkouts until pay and staffing row resolved
NURSES shed tears yesterday as they staged a historic strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Around 15,500 walked out as the Unison union slammed Ulster’s most senior civil servant over his “deeply unhelpful” intervention in talks with political leaders.
And Royal College of Nursing director Pat Cullen warned: “Until we achieve pay parity, we will continue, there’ll be no stopping these nurses.”
AROUND 15,500 nurses braved the freezing rain in a strike over pay and staff levels as a union chief slammed Northern Ireland’s top civil servant yesterday.
Unison’s Patricia Mckeown slated David Sterling for his “deeply unhelpful intervention” after he reportedly told political leaders restoring wage parity could only be done by a minister.
The head of the Civil Service is said to have informed parties of this on Tuesday when he and Health Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly met them in a bid to avert the strike action.
He also sent the leaders letters that were dated December 17.
The political chiefs then sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Julian Smith which “provides cover” for him to intervene in the absence of devolved government.
The note added there was “collective support for the restoration of pay parity”.
Last night, Ms Mckeown said union members “are shocked by the apparent attempt to mislead party leaders and the overtly political tone of the letter”.
She added: “Yesterday, the leaders of the five main political parties made a clear collective statement supporting the restoration of pay parity and seeking that this dispute be resolved.
“The Permanent Secretary in the Department of Health indicated on December 5th that he needed political authority to act. This having now been provided, we seriously question your failure to act.”
Ms Mckeown was speaking after 9,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing walked out at 8am yesterday – the first time in its 103-year history.
About 6,500 nurses belonging to Unison also took to picket lines outside hospitals across Northern Ireland.
Mr Sterling referenced long waiting lists for treatment and said restoring pay parity with England and Wales would
cost £30million per year. That would be equivalent to removing 120,000 people from waiting lists, he added in a move criticised by Unison.
Ms Mckeown said: “We are extremely disappointed by your continued suggestion that effectively workers are seeking to deprive essential services of resources in order to fund pay. This is, to say the least, disingenuous.”
The main political leaders in Northern Ireland have urged the Government to find extra cash to fund pay increases but Secretary of State Smith said health was a devolved matter. In an open letter yesterday, Ms Mckeown added: “We have repeatedly stated the UK Treasury should provide whatever additional resources are needed to restore the pay gap.
“You have a clear role in making that argument to them. Health workers have kept the system running in the face of continued cuts and austerity.
“Poor workforce planning by the Department of Health has resulted in over 7,000 vacancies causing excessive and uncontrolled spending on agencies.
“It is wrong, insulting and overtly political to suggest that paying health workers what they are entitled to would be against the public interest.”
Yesterday’s walkouts follows weeks of industrial action by other healthcare workers over the same issues.
In total, more than 20,000 people who work in the NHS here are involved in the strike action.