‘Largest mobilisation of workers’ predicted as health and teaching unions to stage Guildhall rally

The largest mobilisation of working people in recent history will take place in Guildhall Square next Tuesday when teaching and health unions unite in a coordinated strike rally.
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Health workers at Unison, NIPSA, UNITE and GMB will be on strike for 24 hours on Tuesday while teachers from the NASUWT, Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), National Education Union (NEU) and Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU) will be taking industrial action until noon.

Niall McCarroll, chairperson of Derry Trades Union Council, said that as part of the Northern Ireland Committee (NIC) – Irish Congress of Trade Union’s (ICTU) Workers Demand Better Campaign it has been agreed health unions will leave their picket lines to join the teaching unions at strike rallies at Guildhall Square and City Hall in Belfast at 10am.

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Mr. McCarroll said: “Guildhall Square will witness one of the largest mobilisations of working people in recent history, when the organised labour movement ramps up its resistance to government policies which no longer make the grade.”

Strike action is planned for Tuesday.Strike action is planned for Tuesday.
Strike action is planned for Tuesday.

Siobhan McElhinney, Northern Chairperson of INTO said: “We are asking the people of the North West to join us in the Guildhall square on February 21 at 10am to stand against the cuts forced on the education system.

"These cuts are going to impact on future generations for years to come. We need the government to value education by investing in this system and paying education workers a fair wage. This system is in crisis. We need you to stand with us on February 21.”

Jacquie White, General Secretary of the UTU, said: “Our teachers are fighting for our children’s future – and their own – in a system which for the last decade has been eviscerated, systematically undermined and devalued.

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“As a result of inflation and poor pay scales, teachers have lost a decade when it comes to their salaries, but we risk losing much more for we risk losing this generation of children – and those to follow – unless this situation is addressed.”

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Mark Langhammer, from the NEU, said: “Teachers have lost, in real-terms, some 23-24 per cent since Osborne’s [George, former Conservative Chancellor] pay-freeze in 2010-11.

“Teachers, along with social workers, have lost more in real terms than any other profession or trade group across the economy.”

Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official NI said: “Our members would rather be in school working with their pupils, but have had no option but to take this action in order to stand up for their right to a salary which reflects the skilled and difficult work they do and which enables them to weather the cost of living crisis.

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“The current pay offer is simply insufficient. Teachers are not willing to accept yet another real terms pay cut and are continuing to fight for a better deal.”

Mr. McCarroll said: “All eight sovereign trade unions will be taking strike action together - unifying their demands to deliver change, breaking through the unequal nature of our political system.”

He said this signalled ‘a huge development in the NIC-ICTU Workers Demand Better Campaign’.