Health Service workers have begun an industrial action ballot over unsafe staffing levels and pay injustice.
The ballot is seeking majority support for strike actions and action short of strike action. Currently thousands of unfilled posts across the Health Service puts patients’ lives at risk every day and NI Health Workers are the lowest paid compared to staff in Wales, Scotland and England. Discussions have begun about the possibility of a NIPSA health service wide strike on Election Day, Thursday 12 December 2019.
NIPSA Official Maria Morgan stated:
“NIPSA members did not create this crisis in the NHS but they are determined to end it. The crisis is the product of a political choice to continue with austerity combined with massive mismanagement over many years. This essential service exists due to the compassion, professionalism and dedication of public servants but they cannot continue to work in an unsafe environment and be underpaid. We demand more for our members and our communities. NIPSA will use the 12 December General Election as a focus, to hold to account those that have caused the crisis”.