Healthcare Workers Strike in Northern Ireland

Healthcare sector strikes will go ahead in Northern Ireland, despite being called off in the rest of the UK. Over 3,000 health workers from Unite the Union and Britain's General Union are reportedly taking part in a 12-hour long industrial action in Northern Ireland demanding fair payment.

MOSCOW, January 29 (Sputnik) – A planned 12-hour strike by health workers will go ahead in Northern Ireland on Thursday despite similar rallies in other parts of the United Kingdom being canceled, the Unite the Union trade union said in a statement.

"Our industrial committee concluded that due to the inaction of the Health Department here and their unwillingness to engage with the unions, the strike action on Thursday would go ahead," Unite the Union lead officer for Health Kevin McAdam said.

Over 3,000 health workers from Unite the Union and Britain's General Union are reportedly taking part in a 12-hour long industrial action in Northern Ireland demanding fair payment.

Earlier on Thursday, several National Health Service (NHS) trade unions announced that their members would not strike as the government had put forward a pay proposal.

According to UNISON's head of health and the unions' lead negotiator, Christina McAnea, the Health Department proposed payment increases of "between 5.6 and 2.2 per cent for more than 250,000 of the lowest paid in the NHS."

Unite the Union claimed the government intends to confuse an increase in payment with a cost of living rise, hence union members' decision to take industrial action.