TUESDAY morning saw thousands of striking health workers take to the picket lines alongside teachers who are striking over pay and conditions.
Thousands of health and social care workers from Unite the Union, Unison, Nipsa and GMB gathered at various locations including the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Mater Hospital before marching to Belfast City Hall in a solidarity demonstration alongside teachers unions.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and rejected the government’s derisory pay offer, which is a real terms pay cut.
“These strikes are being taken as an absolute last resort. Our members are seeing the NHS eroded before their eyes and patients’ lives are being placed at risk due to chronic underfunding.
Mater Hospital workers on strike 
“In the absence of a functioning Stormont executive, the responsibility for this strike lies squarely with Rishi Sunak who has failed to show leadership and ensure that NHS bosses made a realistic offer to the workers who keep our health and social care services running.”
Unite’s lead regional officer for health in the North, Kevin McAdam, said: “Nobody should be in any doubt regarding our members’ determination to defend their living standards amidst an unprecedented cost of living crisis.”
Teachers and Health workers standing in solidarity 
Anne Speed of UNISON said health staff and patients were "paying a price" for the political stalemate.
"The inertia from the Secretary of State speaks volumes. Taking direction from Westminster, who appear also to be doing nothing is just not good enough."
