Ireland’s longest continuous strike of 2022 has begun again this week.
In Derry People Before Profit members joined the strikers in solidarity on the picket lines.
Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
‘People Before Profit was proud to join Housing Executive maintenance workers on their picket line as they resumed strike action. This has been a very long strike, unnecessarily long. NIHE workers have demonstrated tremendous resilience. They ended 2022 determined and have started the New Year fully determined to win fair pay. It’s time for NIHE and all employers to agree to cost of living pay rises,’ he continued.
Since the start of pickets in September it’s been 18 weeks out. The ongoing low pay and insulting 1.75% pay increase have meant huge hardship for the strikers in a cost-of-living crisis. Their strike has been supported by their union Unite with strike pay, and their pickets are supported by the community and People Before Profit in Derry and in Belfast and beyond.
Harkin continued, ‘The Executive is down but parties in a position to influence NI Housing Executive management have been happy to sit on their hands while workers freeze on picket lines. If that doesn’t happen we, and many others, are prepared to back workers and their trade union in escalating this struggle. No one will fight alone this year.’
“More and more workers are taking action to reject crumbs. The era of silently accepting Westminster and Stormont pay cuts is over.”
