Strike threatens to cause unprecedented disruption
NORTHERN Ireland is bracing itself for widespread disruption as the huge impact of next Wednesday’s strike action over pensions became apparent yesterday.
Thousands of commuters will be forced to make alternative travel arrangements after Translink confirmed that all services will be cancelled.
The majority of schools are also expected to close for the day.
However, thousands of parents and children have been left in the dark, with education boards struggling to find out which schools will close and what arrangements are in place for those which will remain open.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education accepted that some parents may be given no warning at all over whether their child’s school will open.
“Principals have been asked to advise on whether the school will be open on the day and, if their school will remain open, what effect there may be to transport and school meals services, the education spokesperson said.
“Parents should appreciate that individuals in schools and support services such as school transport who intend to strike are not obliged to declare their intention in advance and therefore the full impact of the strike may not become apparent until the day.”
In a statement typifying the situation in which many education boards find themselves, the South Eastern Education and Library Board said: “The board currently does not have a list of schools which are planning to close but will be compiling a list over the next few days as schools notify the board and will forward to the press either close of day Monday or Tuesday morning.”
Hospital and health services will also be hit by the walkout.
Again the level of the disruption has not been made clear, with little detail over the numbers of operations or appointments which may be affected on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Northern Health Trust said: “We are working with a number of trade unions to ensure that emergency and critically clinical services can be maintained during the day of action.
“Many services will operate at a reduced level. We have taken the decision to close adult and day centres.
“The trust will make contact with all individuals whose services are affected by the day of action.”
The Western Health Trust said they, too, were working to minimise disruption but accepted that there may be delays as a result of the action.
“A protocol has been agreed with a number of trade unions involved in the action to protect in-patient, residential and clinically critical services,” a Western Trust spokesperson said.
When contacted by the News Letter, the Belfast Health Trust said details of the impact on hospital and health services would be made available at the beginning of next week.
DUP MLA Jim Wells, deputy chair of the Stormont health committee, last night hit out at the impact the strike will have on patients across Northern Ireland.
“I do not see how cancelling an operation, for an elderly person needing a hip replacement, will help affect a decision which will be made in Westminster,” he said.
“I don’t understand how the unions think that by cancelling operations, closing schools and stopping public services can win them any public support over this issue,” he added.
UUP MLA John McCallister, who also sits on the committee, said he believed unions would act responsibly in minimising the impact on patients.
“I fully respect the right for people to come out on strike, but it is inevitable that we are going to see some disruption in hospitals,” he said.
“From what we have been hearing, there will be little impact on procedures and non-elective procedures.
“Because this strike has been planned for some time, I believe that there will have been fewer operations scheduled for Wednesday.”
He added: “Without doubt, this is the biggest strike action in Northern Ireland for a generation and, while the unions are determined to go ahead with this, they must also be mindful of the inconvenience this will have on people’s lives and the economy which is already struggling, and what that will mean for public support.”
Many council services across Northern Ireland are also expected to be affected.
Belfast City Council said bin collections would be rearranged and warned that some leisure centres, civic amenity sites and other facilities could be closed.
The strike will also hit businesses and traders in the run-up to Christmas, according to the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA).
“I fail to see how this strike will achieve anything other than economic disruption and hitting local small business owners and local shops at the start of the most important trading time of the year,” said NIIRTA chief executive Glyn Roberts in response to the announcement that all public transport will be cancelled.
The general secretary of union NIPSA, Brian Campfield, defended the strike, and said the policies of the coalition government were having a bigger detrimental effect on the economy.
“We have been well prepared to face the criticism from politicians and groups over this strike, but all the unions involved fully believe that this is the only way that we can make a change.
“If people are going to talk about the effect this will have on the economy, they should take a look at what effect the Government’s policy is having on the economy.
“We [NIPSA] balloted our members not only on pensions, but also on pay freezes and job cuts.
“All these measures are taking money out of people’s pockets and stopping them from spending money in shops.
“This will probably be the biggest strike action ever in Northern Ireland.”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
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