Today in Belfast, the senior leadership of the trade union movement held an initial meeting to consider the impact of last Thursday’s generalized day of action and the ongoing industrial actions by affiliates across most parts of the public sector.
Speaking after the meeting, ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy said
At some stage this week, the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris will unveil his response to the failure of his immoral strategy of withholding a just pay settlement from 170,000 workers in health, education, transport and other public services.
When he addresses Parliament on what he has decided, he will need to bear in mind that he has lost the support of every political party, public sector leader as well as the general public on the issue of fair pay for public servants. The enormous levels of public support exhibited last Thursday represents a mandate for the trade union movement to continue its efforts for pay justice.
NIC-ICTU will give a comprehensive response to the reaction of the Secretary of State, but only when we can see the details of what he proposes. If there is no prospect of an immediate declaration that sufficient money is available for all public sector employers to negotiate a fair pay settlement, then there is little prospect of industrial peace being restored.
The short-term priority is a long overdue pay increase to offset inflation – and then there is a long term need for a new budget arrangement that ensures that NI is properly resourced to provide the public services people need for their health and prosperity.
