Thursday to be 'monumental' as public transport workers join picket lines
Previous public transport strikes took place in December
Last updated 16th Jan 2024
Major disruption is expected this Thursday as public sector workers across the country are staging a mass walk out.
Public transport workers are joining the tens of thousands of nurses, health care workers, education staff, police staff and civil servants on the picket lines.
It's after the Secretary of State refused to release the funding to address public sector pay.
Speaking to Cool FM/Downtown, Translink bus driver and brand secretary with Unite Ulster Bus, Damien Doherty, said their fight is with the Secretary of State. “I wouldn’t hold out much hope that the politicians would take any heat off us because they don’t seem to do so as it is. Us as front-line workers across public transport, education, and health, are all paying the price for it. I certainly feel that that’s totally unacceptable. But as it stands our fight as unions right now is with Chris Heaton-Harris. He has proven and shown us that he has the budget there.”
He went on to explain the sector is struggling: “I’m 24 years driving buses, and it’s always been looked at as a job for life. But increasingly now Ulster Bus and Translink have struggled a bit to recruit new drivers. Not just that, there is also a higher number of drivers leaving. There is no doubt that they’re struggling with the cost of living and they’re struggling with the pay that they’re on.”
Previous strike action by transport staff had a major impact on the country. People were left stranded and businesses struggled. Thursday will be no different, as the country will likely come to a ‘stand still’, according to Mr Doherty. “I think you’ll see that the country will come to almost a stand still. I can assure you that there is not one worker who’s stepping out onto a picket line on Thursday who wants to step out onto a picket line. We’ve been left with absolutely no choice.”
Previous public transport strikes took place on December 1st, 15th, 16th and 22nd. However, there is potential for further industrial action after Thursday.
Speaking to Cool FM/Downtown, GMB regional organiser Peter Macklin, said public transport impacts every other sector. “The entire public sector is going out. And we saw the disruption there was when just public transport alone went out. So, this is going to be monumental. When transport workers go out it extends into the economic arena as well because it’s affecting different businesses and people’s ability to go to work. So yes, this is going to have a massive impact on the general public.”
He went on to say: “These guys face all sorts of errors in their day to day running. Assaults are quite frequent, antisocial behaviours, and over the past couple of years there’s been a number of vehicles burnt. So then to be told they’re not getting as pay rise… it’s just unacceptable.”
You can here more at the top of the hour on air: https://planetradio.co.uk/cool-fm/player/