Economist says that despite good intentions - strikers are damaging political institutions

Dr Esmond Birnie says strikes could set a dangerous precedent and cause Northern Ireland reputational damage – showing that politicians can be blown with the wind.
Dr Esmond Birnie  - a senior economist at Ulster University - also says NI could gain a reputation as the most unstable region in terms of industrial relations in the UK.Dr Esmond Birnie  - a senior economist at Ulster University - also says NI could gain a reputation as the most unstable region in terms of industrial relations in the UK.
Dr Esmond Birnie  - a senior economist at Ulster University - also says NI could gain a reputation as the most unstable region in terms of industrial relations in the UK.
By David Thompson
Published 19th Jan 2024, 00:00 BST

The Ulster University economist says there will be an immediate impact particularly on health and education services – as well as on others who weren’t able to get into work.

"There is a considerable short-term monetary cost. I think a point not many people have made is the danger this gets repeated again and again. On the face of it, it’s hard to see how it won’t happen again because this is about trying to change political outcomes. And there’s no obvious sign that anything will change from the Secretary of State or on the restoration of devolution. We could be back again in a month’s time”, he said.

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Responding to NIPSA’s assertion that they will be back bigger and bigger until the Secretary of State offers the money that is needed for all the pay claims, Mr Birnie said damage could be done to Northern Ireland’s reputation.

He said: “We will start to acquire a reputation as somewhere which has got tremendous problems of industrial relations and a sense of… ‘who is really governing Northern Ireland?’. An outside investor might say it’s not at all clear that anybody is really taking responsibility.

"Reputational damage is what I would worry about going forward. There is also a point that we know our political institutions are unstable. They’ve demonstrated that since devolution first began in 1999. There is a weakness – and if you get into a position where major policy decisions are being made on the foot of pressure from mass industrial action – I think that’s a dangerous precedent.

"Whilst a lot of people say they are striking to try to make a political point about getting the institutions to work and make NI a better place – I think they’re actually doing damage to the political institutions because they’re going to create a mindset on the part of senior politicians where they’re just going to be blown by every wind of industrial unrest one way or the other”.

Related topics:Northern Ireland

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