30th November Strike
30th November Strike
27/11/2011
NIPSA, Northern Ireland's largest public sector trade union is finalising its plans for strike action this Wednesday.
Click here to download pdf press release
Action by members of NIPSA will affect virtually every area of the public sector including health, social care, housing, the civil service, local government as well as schools, education support and administration, further and higher education. Members employed in the NI Assembly, the PSNI, Human Rights Commission, the Equality Commission and the Labour Relations Agency and a host of other Non-Departmental Public Bodies will also be taking strike action.
Brian Campfield, the union’s General Secretary stated:-
“NIPSA members across the public service in Northern Ireland are finalising preparations for picket lines and protest rallies in every town and city in Northern Ireland in what will undoubtedly be the biggest mobilisation of workers ever in Northern Ireland.
The last minute and frantic threats and intimidation by UK Government Ministers will only strengthen their resolve. The government should have engaged in a serious process of consultation with the trade unions over the planned changes to the pension schemes.
Instead the government itself launched its first strike on public sector pensions when it unilaterally and without any consultation with pensioners or unions changed the inflation measure for uprating public sector pensions from April this year. This change reduced the value of public sector pensions by a minimum of 15% over the lifetime of a public service pensioner.”
Commenting on the broader issue of the government’s austerity plans the NIPSA General Secretary commented:-
“The raid on public sector pensions is part of the government’s overall plans to make low and middle income families, those on benefits, the sick and disabled pay for the crisis which was triggered by their friends in the financial and banking sectors.
A new generation of young people are being condemned to the dole or emigration.
The inconvenience caused by Wednesday’s action pails into insignificance against the destruction of the economy and jobs caused by the government’s economic policies and its deficit reduction measures.
The coalition government parties had no mandate for these policies. They are acting as an extremist government and it is essential that the people mobilise for an abandonment of these disastrous policies.”
ENDS
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