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PICKET lines sprang up across Northern Ireland and thousands of striking workers packed the square in front of Belfast’s City Hall yesterday.
The biggest industrial action in the Six Counties for years saw public transport grind to a halt, schools close and health workers responding only to emergencies as public-sector staff warned they would not be “the sacrificial lambs for a crazy and cranky Tory dream.”
The massive walk-out displayed public outrage over Stormont budgets that have shaved millions off public spending, plans to slash 20,000 jobs at the civil service and a simultaneous bid to cut corporation tax in a shameless handout to business.
Unions on strike include Unison, Unite, GMB, Nipsa and the Irish National Teachers Organisation (Into).
Into Northern Secretary Gerry Murphy said since the bankers’ crash of 2008 over 3,000 teaching posts had been cut in the British-ruled territory.
Another 1,000 jobs were in the firing line with a further 1,000 support roles on the block, he warned.
“Children are being educated in larger classes.
“Children with particular and special learning needs … will be denied access to services such as psychology, speech therapy and specialist language and music tuition.”
Nipsa general secretary Brian Campfield said workers had sent a “clear message” that they would not “accept the decimation of our public services.”
He called on Northern Ireland’s political parties to respect public opinion and “declare that they will refuse to support any new government at Westminster which does not call an immediate halt to these unprecedented and damaging cuts.”
Unions condemned Thursday night’s decision by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (Nias) to declare a “major incident” forcing staff back to work.
The bid to paint unions as recklessly endangering lives would backfire, Unison regional secretary Patricia McKeown said.
“There are no indications that such a major incident exists. This is strike-breaking and intimidation.”
Trade unions had agreed members would respond to emergency 999 calls and non-emergency transport for oncology, renal and paedriatic patients as well as those in palliative care.
Unite national officer Kevin McAdam accused Nias of “cynically exploiting this part of the emergency cover understanding to thwart the industrial action.”
