People Before Profit supports the British Medical Association member Junior Doctors in the North who are starting their first-time 24-hour strike over pay. They are right to strike.
Health care and social care workers should have no qualms about demanding another strike for a real consolidated 10% increase to make up for years of cost of living increases and decades of austerity budgets, either. Well done to them for keeping the fight going.
Pickets are on in the following locations. Show your support.
Craigavon Hospital, Lurgan Road entrance, BT63 5QQ
7.30am to 11.00am
Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road entrance, Belfast, BT12 6BA
From 7.00am
Altnagelvin Hospital, Glenshane Road entrance, BT47 6SB
From 7.30am
Councillor Shaun Harkin was on the pickets at Altnagelvin this morning:
In response to their disappointing meeting with Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann, they have been given no option in the fight to save our Health Service.
NHS workers are heroes. They should be treated as such. Applause and mere platitudes are not enough. We call on people to support the striking doctors in their struggle and to understand that they are striking for all of us.
They have been subjected to years of pay cuts, understaffing, and lack of respect from a Tory government intent on NHS privatisation.
Shaun Harkin on the pickets at Altnagelvin
In Belfast this morning MLA Gerry Carroll said:
‘I was proud to stand with the Junior Doctors on strike this morning for better wages and conditions.
Stormont has reconvened, but it has continued to attack public sector workers once again.
We all will need the Health Service at sometime in our life.
It should be the focus of government spending but instead they find money for warfare and not welfare.’
Gerry Carroll on the pickets at the Royal.
Support the strikers and join them on the picket line.
