250,000 State employees on strike

[sammymaguire]

Widespread disruption is expected today as 250,000 State employees hold a one-day nationwide strike.

From prison officers, to nurses, from local authority workers to civil servants - the public service will essentially shut down for a day.

Public sector unions have said the Government has refused to engage with them on ways of cutting the State pay and pensions' bill by €1.3bn without hitting pay, pensions or services.

AdvertisementSpokesman for the trade union IMPACT Bernard Harbor said if the Government cuts pay again there will be more industrial action but said it is unlikely that there will be a second day of strikes on the day of the Budget.

A number of unions have deferred strike action in areas hit by the recent floods.

Public transport is also running as normal.


55,000 welfare payments due on Wednesday will be delayed. However St Vincent de Paul is advising those with a social services card to collect payments at their post office.

Emergency cover will be in place in essential health services, though strike exemptions granted to key areas including palliative and intensive care.

Once the strike is over, unions will return to talks with the Government on long-term restructuring the public service, and short-term measures to cut the State pay bill.

However, talks will be intense given there are just two weeks to the Budget.

Meanwhile, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which are forbidden by law to strike, have issued a message of support to unions and said it has instructed members not to make themselves available for overtime.

My own personal opinion is this stinks from high heaven. Molly coddled, overpaid public sector workers spitting their dummies out  get back to work and be thankful you have a handy job in the first place (sweeping statement I know but it does apply to 90% of public sector workers who earn damn good money, which is alot higher than their colleagues in the north, for the jobs they do)

[Dinny Breen]

Question is without media coverage would anyone even notice 

[Shamrock Shore]

S'funny. Two lollipop ladies were on duty this morning in Blackrock even though there are no childer to shepherd across the road.

They will, no doubt, be there at 2.30 as well.

If anything signified to me the stupidity of this day of dispute it was this.

[Bacon]

Should they not have been on strike?

What do people with real jobs do when their children can't go to school due to a strike?

[Shamrock Shore]

Bacon

I am sure they are non unionised contract workers with the local authority. If they don't turn up they won't get paid.

We have the Mrs' mam with us at the moment so that worked out for us. Otherwise one of us (we are both self employed) would have had to miss the best part of a day's work. Costing us money.

[bingobus]

I seen pickets on one of the local schools. Apparently thats not part of strike policy so I enquired why.
Its due to one or more teachers not striking and they are in school as normal. The unions have instructed that if this is the case that the school or office should be directly picketed.

[Billys Boots]

The sheep don't like revolution turned on themselves, apparently. 

[The Real Laoislad]

I was stopped at traffic lights driving through Ballyfermot this morning, there were a load of women picketing outside some college they have there, anyway one of them shouts across at me to beep me bleedin horn for the strike! I shouted at her to go back to bleedin work

[thebandit]

I seen pickets on one of the local schools. Apparently thats not part of strike policy so I enquired why.
Its due to one or more teachers not striking and they are in school as normal. The unions have instructed that if this is the case that the school or office should be directly picketed.

Its alright, they've all gone inside now 

[Tankie]

I was stopped at traffic lights driving through Ballyfermot this morning, there were a load of women picketing outside some college they have there, anyway one of them shouts across at me to beep me bleedin horn for the strike! I shouted at her to go back to bleedin work

Classic stuff LL - fair play

[AN other]

There's people doing shifts of strikes in the office block I'm in. What is the story with that? Surely you're either on strike or working?
Also heard there's big queues into Newry today, don't know how much truth there is in that but doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

[Tankie]

There's people doing shifts of strikes in the office block I'm in. What is the story with that? Surely you're either on strike or working?
Also heard there's big queues into Newry today, don't know how much truth there is in that but doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

a friend of mine works in a school and they only have to strike for 15mins in a rotation basis upto 10am - i asked what the reason for this was and apparently they got verbally abused  (some Pat Kenny style looper went off on them about how they are a disgrace and over paid) the last time they striked so they decided that they will not spend the day there....she is currently in Dundrum Shopping centre doing her christmas shopping at the moment....

[bingobus]

There's people doing shifts of strikes in the office block I'm in. What is the story with that? Surely you're either on strike or working?
Also heard there's big queues into Newry today, don't know how much truth there is in that but doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

a friend of mine works in a school and they only have to strike for 15mins in a rotation basis upto 10am - i asked what the reason for this was and apparently they got verbally abused  (some Pat Kenny style looper went off on them about how they are a disgrace and over paid) the last time they striked so they decided that they will not spend the day there....she is currently in Dundrum Shopping centre doing her christmas shopping at the moment....

Was also talking to a teacher on facebook and he said they were only picketing in 15min slots till 10am, this was in Monaghan. He said that most of the talk this last few days was Newry, Belfast, Enniskillen etc and the shopping that was to be done. He's not in Union but was told the school wouldn't be open for him or any others.

[Declan]

I know 2 people who have been on the picket since 10am this morning

[Gnevin]

Manager in the Buttercrain saying they are seeing Saturday levels of southern shoppers today. 


National day of shopping. What a farce.