Major Derry rally in support of strike by education and health workers

The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Union (ICTU) is hosting rallies across the north in support of striking workers in health and education.

The Guildhall Square rally will take place at 10am.

The rally coincides with a morning stoppage by education sector workers and a full day of industrial action by health sector workers.

Simultaneous demonstrations will take place in Omagh, Coleraine, Ballymena, Belfast, Bangor and Newry.

Health workers will stage pickets at Altnagelvin Hospital and at other hospital sites throughout Tuesday.

Unite, one of the health unions taking part in the action, says 4000 members will take part in the strike.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members’ overwhelming vote for strike action signals their determination to secure a cost of living pay increase and safe staffing for patients.

“With chronic low pay making it impossible to recruit and retain essential health workers, the health service in Northern Ireland is facing an existential crisis.

“In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, the responsibility for resolving this dispute falls to the UK government. The PM and ministers have been missing in action but it is their job to ensure that NHS bosses make a realistic offer to the workers who keep our health and social care services running. They must get on and do so without delay.”

People Before Profit Councillors Shaun Harkin and Maeve O'Neill spoke out in support of the demonstrations.

"People Before Profit will be joining workers from across workplaces and communities putting feet on the street to say no more Tory pay cuts and austerity while corporations post record profits.

"Government must start prioritising our teachers, our schools and students, our NHS workers and everyone dependent on the health service.

"People are fed-up with the DUP's blatant support for the Tories.

"People are fed-up with all the main Stormont parties shrugging their shoulders, voting year in, year out to slash pay and funding, and then telling us 'there is no alternative'."

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