Northern Ireland strikes: Staff at Ulster Folk Museum set to strike 'on busiest day of year'

Carmel Gates, General Secretary of the NI Public Sector Alliance union, said most employees at the north Down museum are unionised and that they have "a very well organised branch" there.

"Traditionally the museum would have record bookings each year on that date," she told the News Letter.

Last week 94% of NIPSA members across NI voted for industrial action, in answer to the "insulting and derisory" pay offer they said had been offered to them of £552.

NIPSA represents approximately 15,600 non-industrial union members in all grades across all Stormont Departments and also a number of arm's length bodies.

“Members will however protest at the Secretary of States offices in Belfast, Erksine House on budget day, 15 March, when 180,000 union members will be striking in England,” Carmel said.

There is the possibility of unified strike action in NI by a range of unions across the public sector at the end of this month and the start of next month, but no dates have been confirmed, she added.

In a formal ballot that closed this week over nine out of ten midwife and maternity support worker members of the Royal College of Midwives voted for industrial action short of a strike. The results of the ballot now have to go the RCM Board where the next steps will be decided.

GMB and Unite unions say more than 400 road crew, Rivers Agency, Forest Service and Strangford Ferry workers will also strike but have not confirmed any dates.