Health workers take industrial strike action

Health workers take industrial strike action

11 December 2019

HEALTH workers in Downpatrick took strike action last Friday ahead of a series of protests calling for pay parity and adequate nursing numbers.

Nurses were working to rule yesterday and today at the Downshire and Downe Hospitals while a joint strike planned between their union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), and Unison, will be held next Wednesday.

Hospital and outlying district services will be impacted as the strike will run from 8am until 10pm — unless a deal is done before that.

Unison and the RCN are demanding equal pay for its members in line with UK counterparts and for increased nurse recruitment to protect patients in a failing health service.

Domestics, porters, catering staff, administrative staff, dental nurses from all wards and departments in the Downe and Downshire Hospitals and outlying facilities will join nurses who have voted to strike for the first time in their 103-year history.

Public support was high for health workers, including nurses from the Down Outpatients Department, who took part in Friday’s strike.

Hundreds of Unison members joined the picket in the morning and afternoon at Downshire Hospital’s entrance with local drivers sounding support as they passed.

The impact of the action closed the Outpatients department at the Downe Hospital, along with the Ulster Hospital, Lagan Valley, Ards and Bangor Hospitals.

The Community Dental Service was impacted with the cancellation of the Ballynahinch clinic and two clinics at Downe Hospital on Friday afternoon. 

The impact was widespread for patients as day case surgery, ENT and gynaecology at Lagan Valley Hospital was cancelled along with the closure of the Medical Day Case Unit, Dermatology Laser Unit, Cath Lab and Ambulatory Hubs at the Ulster Hospital.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust said that that all affected patients had been contacted and would be rescheduled for appointments at a future date.

Staff from the Downshire Hospital were strengthened by colleagues from the nearby Downe, who joined the picket.

Unison members who work in the transport and domiciliary care went out on strike from 8am-12 noon while the rest of the workers came out from 2pm-5pm.

South Down MP Chris Hazzard and SDLP election candidate Michael Savage showed  their support as did SDLP MLA Colin McGrath and Downpatrick councillors Oonagh Hanlon and John Trainor.

Unison branch secretary Marian Ritchie called on all the elected representatives present to give members more than a show of support.

She told cheering strikers: “We want every politician here now to give a commitment to say, as individuals and as a group, that every single one of the the health service staff will get a pay rise and pay parity.”

The call was met with shouts of “Get back to work” by the strikers.

Ms Ritchie also told her colleagues: “The Permanent Secretary says that he has the money but not the authority and the only ones that have the authority are the politicians. That’s why we asking the politicians to write to the Permanent Secretary today and give us what we want, that’s pay parity.”

She estimated that between 60-70% of her members turned out to strike and represented nurses, mental health workers, occupational therapists, dental nurses, domiciliary care  and administrative workers from both hospitals.

When asked about the potential impact that the full day strike would have on patients, Mrs Ritchie answered: “We are hoping that the Secretary of State and the Permanent secretary will see sense before that. We are not asking for anything we are not entitled to.

Mr Eamonn McGrady, chairman of Down Community Health Committee, and one of its members, Mrs Anne Trainor, also attended the picket to show their support.

Mr McGrady said that the committee was “fully behind the staff members” and promised that it would continue to back their campaign.

Mrs Trainor explained why she was on the picket and said: “My role is to represent the community and I have been sounding out people in the town today and they say they are 100% behind the nurses and the ancillary staff who have been so unequally paid over a long number of years in comparison to the mainland.

“Over the years of the Troubles these people held this country together and nowhere else in the country did this happen and that has been acknowledged. We need equality and equity immediately.”

When asked about prolonged impact of strike action on patients, Mrs Trainor added: “I think that Stormont will bend quicker than we will. We have been fighting for services in this local hospital for the last 30 years. We are not going away.”

A Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “All Health and Social Care organisations will continue to work closely together to mitigate the effects of any disruption from industrial action with a strong focus on patient safety.

“We apologise for the stress and anxiety caused to all those patients, clients and family members who have been and may be affected.”

For the latest and most up to date information on disruptions and cancellations visit www.setrust.hscni.net or www.hscboard.hscni.net/hsc-industrial-action-updates.