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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Health workers in Northern Ireland on 24 hour strike in pay dispute

Health workers in Northern Ireland are currently on a 24 hour strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Members from Unison, Nispa, and GMB in all areas of the health service are taking part in the strike. It is the first strike in the health service since 2019.

Workers have been told they will receive a 2022-23 pay award of £1,400, but Unison's regional secretary said "it's not enough."

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Unison and Nipsa members have been taking part in industrial action since 5 December, with a work-to-rule policy.

On December 12, members will leave their roles and join the picket lines. Colleagues from GMB will also join them.

Unions have campaigned about pay levels amid the cost of living crisis, as well as at a time of rising inflation and on issues such as staffing levels within the health service.

A pay uplift announced by the Department of Health last week came after a recommendation by an independent review body.

Unison's regional secretary, Patricia McKeown, said the uplift wasn't enough for its members.

"It doesn't make up for the loss in earnings over the last decade, most of our members find themselves in very, very difficult circumstances, not just because of the current cost-of-living crisis; this has been cumulative over at least 10 years," she told BBC's Sunday Politics.

The strike is all day, with union members issued guidance about periods of time when they are called to join picket lines.

From Tuesday, the unions have said they will return to their previous action which is short of strike.

Among the employers to be notified of the strike action are the five health trusts, the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, Public Health Agency and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.

Trade union laws state that life-preserving care must be provided during strikes by health workers. This means despite the industrial action, services such as urgent tests and scans, essential cancer services and ongoing care for vulnerable patients will still be protected.

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