Northern Ireland strike: 'get back to work' message loud and clear to politicians

Striking public sector workers have urged politicians to 'get back to business'.

Teachers, nurses and bus drivers were among an estimated 150,000-plus joining picket lines, protests and mass demonstrations in what is the biggest public sector strike in Northern Ireland's history.

With schools closed, bus and trains halted while health services delivered a 'Christmas Day' type operation, there was major disruption across the public sector.

Striking workers gathered at Stormont and the NIO headquarters in Belfast on Thursday.

Carmel Gates, general secretary of Nipsa, said workers were being used as a "political pawn" by the Northern Ireland Secretary.

She said: "It shows the anger of public sector workers who haven't had a decent pay rise in more than 10 years.

"Now we believe we are being used as a political pawn in a game by the Secretary of State."

She added: "My members are angry and they are not going to back down.

"This is not something which is a temporary fight. They are so angry at how they have been treated.

"This is the beginning, we will escalate. The Secretary of State needs to know that, this is not the end."

A mass trade union rally in Belfast heard that workers are demanding a different future.

Owen Reidy from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions addressed thousands at Belfast City Hall.

He said: "The time for hollow words is over. I do sincerely hope Stormont comes back, but if it does come back it has to be different, it has to treat public sector workers and all workers across Northern Ireland with respect.

"Today is historic, not only is it potentially the largest mobilisation of the trade union movement in this state's history, but I think by your actions you have taken a decision to turn the page of history, to say we are not going back to the failed ways of the past where public services are under-resourced. You are not going back to the past where you are getting negligible or no pay increases.

"You are going to demand a different future."

Linda Millar, a teacher at Ballyclare Secondary School, said she was joining the picket lines to help achieve pay parity with the rest of the UK.

She said: "We are losing teachers left, right and centre to Doha, Dubai, everywhere.

"The education system is crumbling. Our buildings are crumbling."

Elsewhere, Royal College of Nursing NI Director, Rita Devlin told Downtown Radio & Cool FM warned that staff would leave as a result.

"We are going to lose our best and our brightest because this is an intolerable situation that we have been put in," she said. "This is a country where nobody seems to be in charge.

"Everybody points to everybody else to say it's not my fault - it's their fault.

"In the meantime, it is the public who are suffering."

Meanwhile in Newry Rachel Killen, a social worker, and a member of Unison, said it was time the Stormont stalemate ended, and she had this message for the politicians .

"We are going back to war times - that's the stark reality of it," she said "So what I am saying to the political leaders and the Secretary of State is listen to what your people here are telling you - these are the people who have elected you into jobs.

"Get back and do the job you're paid to do."