Thousands at Derry fair pay rally

Members of 15 public sector unions marched from early-morning workplace picket lines to Derry’s Guildhall calling for fair pay and conditions.

Possibly the most co-ordinated campaign of strike action seen in the North since May 1974 took place on Thursday (January 18).

Education, healthcare, public transport and civil service workers downed tools over what Maria Morgan, deputy general secretary of NIPSA, described as the “neglect of public sector workers and public services”.

WATCH: Derry's McCann 'rages' for fair pay at rally

'Just take a look around, we’re a union town. When they come for our wages, Derry says 'NO'

Lifelong trade unionist Eamonn McCann invoked the women of Derry, Aneurin Bevan, 'Rage Against the Machine', Eleanor Marx and Jim Larkin at today's rally in Guildhall Square in support of fair pay and conditions for public sector workers.

In spite of the steadily falling snow, the atmosphere in Guildhall Square was defiant and upbeat. Paramedic Roddy Lynch entertained the crowd while the platform speakers assembled.

Calling the meeting to order, Niall McCarroll, chairperson of Derry Trades Union Council, said the upwards of 2,000 people present showed the “potential power of the trade union movement”.

“Today is the day we all stand together as one,” he added. “And, no matter what our opinions are on international issues, it would be wrong if we didn’t mention all those workers, health workers, education workers, journalists, humanitarian workers, who have lost their lives since October 7. We think about them and their families today.”

IN PICTURES: Thousands on strike in Derry

Speaker after speaker proceeded to lay the blame for the decimation of public services and public sector pay on British Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris and the Democratic Unionist Party, particularly leader, Jeffrey Donaldson.

Commending those present, Maria Morgan said: “Today you have made history. You have risen for your class and for your community and for your movement.”

She added: “The demand of the NIPSA campaign is that the Secretary of State immediately ends the economic sanctions that he has put on you as workers.

“We are calling for the immediate release of the funds he has said are available to settle the public sector pay disputes. We are also demanding recurrent funding for all public services going forward. That is what our members deserve and that’s what our community so badly needs.

IN PICTURES: Thousands of public sector workers attend Derry rally

Photos - Tom Heaney (nwpresspics)

“Yesterday, we saw another failed attempt to restore the Northern Ireland political institutions. We saw the Secretary of State confirm he will not release the funds he told us were available.

“It is immoral to link funding of public services to political development. Today’s strike is fuelled by the frustration of unfairness. I think that about sums up where it is at. It is immoral to link our pay and the funding of our services to this political game,” said Ms Morgan, who added NIPSA stood ready to “escalate” action should there be no resolution.

Mary Lyttle, a homecare worker and joint branch secretary of UNISON’s Foyle Health Branch said the political classes had “abandoned the people”.

She added: “Our demands are clear. Pay our public sector workers what we are owed. Stop using our members as leverage in your political games. Stop the privatisation and out-sourcing agenda across our public services.

“The Secretary of State has no mandate here. His party, the Tory party has zero political support here therefore he has no mandate to reform our public services.

“Comrades, I know the times we are living in seem hopeless, however, never forget, as long as we have the numbers, we will have the power. Remember ‘People are Power’. We will be stronger together when we speak with one voice,” said a passionate Mary Lyttle.

Rory Quigley, a SIPTU representative who works on the railway network, said key public service workers had been subjected to “years of real-term pay cuts in the face of massive cost of living increases”.

“We stand here today and say, ‘This cannot continue. We will not let this continue, regardless of the situation at Stormont’, he said.

“The money to give us a wage increase, to pay us fairly, is there. We have seen this in the past weeks as Chris Heaton-Harris callously dangles the carrot of a funding package in front of us. But, rather than take positive steps towards a solution, both he and Jeffrey Donaldson play political tennis with our lives and with taking responsibility.

“Low wages are just one aspect of across the board underfunding of public services in the North. This is not by accident but by design. Low pay and dismantling public services is the modus operandi of the Conservative party and always has been. 

“Today we say directly to Chris Heaton-Harris, we won’t let him get away with it. We demand better. We demand properly resourced and funded public services. We demand a budget that is fair, sustainable and workable. We demand a pay rise now,” said Rory Quigley.

Also addressing the Guildhall rally was Samantha Bronze of UNISON, representing education support staff workers employed by the Education Authority, currently on their second day of strike action for a pay and grading review.

“The grading review was agreed in 2019,” recalled Ms Bronze, “Covid hit and we were patient and allowed time for the negotiations to recommence.

“Trade unions and the Education Authority finally agreed on a pay and grading proposal in the summer of 2022, which was submitted to the Department of Education. This proposal has only recently been received by the Department of Finance. 

“We all know Chris Heaton-Harris has given his budget of £584 million to Northern Ireland however, it is unknown whether this pay and grading review is even included in it. Our members are not prepared to keep waiting on what has already been agreed and promised. 

“If we want the best for our children and young people, we need to value those who work with them in education.
“It is time the pay and grading review was implemented. It is time to end the empty promises. Enough is enough,” said Ms Bronze.

Former Mayor of Derry, UNITE representative, Brenda Stevenson said the message to Chris Heaton-Harris from Derry was, ‘He is an absolute disgrace’.

She added: “He has abdicated all responsibility and power towards every single public sector worker right across the board.

“He has fiscal authority to give out the £6 million pounds he said was part of the £3.3 billion package, to pay our public sector workers. He is reneging on that and he is refusing to do it.

“We were promised in January of 2020 we would never find ourselves in a situation where we would not have pay parity with our colleagues across GB. Where are we today, we are back out on the streets, but we will not be defeated. Enough is enough,” said Ms Stevenson, who also referenced the ongoing battle for union recognition in Seagate. 

INTO President, Dorothy McGinley said teachers across the North were experiencing a ‘winter of discontent’.

Eviscerating the government she added: “Fact -  our pay as teachers has been reduced by more than 25% in real terms since 2010. Fact - we have not had a cost of living increase since 2020. Fact - we are now the poorest teachers across these islands. 

“Fact - we can no longer recruit or retain teachers. Our teachers are leaving in their droves. Fact - While the DUP are preventing the formation of an executive over a perceived Irish Sea Border, they are content to allow the same sea border to be in place in terms of teachers’ pay.

“Fact - the Secretary of State has the power to decouple the £3.3 billion that has been offered and give it to his permanent secretaries and senior civil servants to negotiate proper pay deals for all of us.”

Damian Doherty, Translink worker and UNITE the Union representative said the strike action had only one target - Chris Heaton-Harris.

“His cruel cuts are decimating our public transport network, our health and social care service, our schools, and our infrastructure and harming everyone in our communities including our children.

“Chris Heaton-Harris, absentee landlord, does not care about our public services or public service providers. He has decided to use us as pawns in his attempt to get Stormont back up and running. We say to him, ‘We will not be used as a bartering chip. We demand you release the funds you say you have that will allow us the fair, deserved and justified pay rise you are cruelly denying so many families’. 

“It is time he started putting adequate funding into our public services so they can work properly and end the waiting lists,” said Damian Doherty.

Health worker John Hubbard represented SIPTU on Thursday. He praised those in the Guildhall Square saying: “Even in the midst of a cost of living crisis, workers continue to take action and fight for what they believe in.”

He added: “Chris Heaton-Harris’ decisions and lack of action are nothing short of immoral. 

“I have worked in the health service for 40 years and I have never seen the pressures that workers are now experiencing on a daily basis. To their credit, staff continue to offer the best service they can but more and more are becoming burnt out and putting their own health at risk.”

Martina Donald, branch secretary of UCU in North West Regional College, warned politicians they needed to listen.

“Northern Ireland is suffering as a consequence of the lack of a devolved Assembly and proper pay negotiations and terms and conditions right across the board.

“We are being held to ransom by the UK Government. That is not fair. Do we not deliver the same level of service? Do we not deliver and give to our education system, our healthcare system, the same quality of care, education and public service as every other individual in the UK. Why are we being penalised?” said Ms Donald.

Final speaker, Delma Boggs from the NASUWT told Chris Heaton-Harris to “stop using public sector workers to get the DUP back into government”.

“We fully understand there are issues arising from Brexit that are problematic for unionism but these issues must be addressed within the agreed political framework.

“The Tories have taken our money but the DUP should not take our hope.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Patricia Logue said: “To all of those hard-working public sector workers who are here today from the civil service and right across society to voice your right to fair pay: Firstly, we say, 'Thank you for the tireless work you are doing'.

Secondly, we will continue to stand with you in solidarity as you demand the pay rises you are entitled to. I am proud to stand here with you today.

“Let us leave here today unite in support of our public service workers, sending a resounding message. Give workers their pay rise now.”