Unite the union have given official notice of their planned two-day strike across Northern Ireland.

The strike will begin just after midnight on Thursday 21 September and will continue for 48 hours. Unite say the action is in response to inadequate staffing levels, and comes as workers in Northern Ireland were denied a pay increase in line with that provided to colleagues in England and Wales.
Over 4000 health and social care workers will strike, including health visitors and community practitioners alongside other NHS staff.
‘It is disgraceful that NHS workers in Northern Ireland are denied the same pay increase offered in England and Wales,’ says Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham. ‘NHS workers can count on the full support of Unite in their fight to secure pay justice and safe staffing.’
Kevin McAdam, lead regional officer for Unite in Health, has also shown his support:
‘Northern Ireland NHS workers cannot and will not accept second-class pay. Low pay is driving a staffing crisis that is undermining our health service. Lost services mean unacceptable delays and barriers for those needing life-saving treatments and pressure to “go private”. The resulting reliance on private sector recruitment agencies and locum staffing poses unsustainable costs to the public purse.’