LOCAL GOVERNMENT workers in Northern Ireland, England and Wales are on the second day of their two-day public service strike in pursuit of a 6 per cent pay award.
The strike forced the closure of Derry city airport yesterday and today. In Northern Ireland the strike is also affecting bin collections, road cleaning, leisure and community centres and libraries, while many children's summer schemes were postponed over the two days.
However, the strike enjoyed limited success as it was not universal across the North. In quite a number of the 26 council areas, many or most of these services were available.
Union leaders say strike action will be escalated in the coming months if their demands are not met. Employers, however, say they are not in a position to increase the current 2.45 per cent pay offer.
Brian Campfield of the Nipsa union said the offer was completely "unacceptable" and had been rightly rejected. General secretary of the union John Corey said the offer failed "miserably" to meet the recent price spike. The increasing costs of food and fuel must be matched by realistic pay increases, he said.
"With inflation now hitting 4.6 per cent, it is unfair and unacceptable that public-sector workers should be facing a real cut in their pay," he added.
However, DUP Assembly member Jimmy Spratt said the offer was at the limit of affordability and represents "the best and final offer".
"The pay offer that has been made, we believe, maintains local government as an attractive place to work whilst still being affordable to the ratepayer," he added.
