Westminster government must unlock funding for Northern Ireland public sector pay rise now

The government must release funding so health, education and other public sector workers in Northern Ireland can have their pay disputes resolved, says UNISON today (Thursday).   The call comes as thousands of health, care, school and other public sector workers, belonging to UNISON and 14 other unions, are to take strike action today, following the Westminster government’s ongoing failure to provide the funding needed to resolve pay disputes, says the union. The action, which is expected to be Northern Ireland’s biggest public sector strike in recent history, takes place in the continuing absence of a Northern Ireland executive at Stormont, and the failure of the Northern Ireland secretary to release funding that he says is available for public sector pay.  The UK government says it has set aside £600m to settle public sector pay claims as part of a £3.3bn financial package to support the return of devolution in Northern Ireland. UNISON says the funding for pay should be released now. UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea, who will be joining workers on picket lines across Northern Ireland, said: “Public sector workers in Northern Ireland are paying the price for political inaction. “Health, care, school and other public service employees are hugely frustrated. Public sector workers never want to strike. But this intolerable situation has left them with no other option. “NHS workers in the rest of the UK have had their wage rise for this year, but th...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release Northern Ireland public sector pay Source Type: news