Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

The biggest ever strike is taking place in the North today, with more than 150,000 workers from right across the public sector taking co-ordinated action to fight for higher wages. They are fed up with seeing their real-term wages drop and being punished by a Tory Government that wants to ensure their pay levels drop behind those of workers in England, Scotland and Wales. They are absolutely correct to engage in strike action. They have the full support of People Before Profit. If they are prepared to continue and escalate, they will win. There is a danger for the Government that workers in the South will take inspiration from what they are doing and be willing to do the same unless the Government is prepared to make a pay offer to the public sector that actually makes up for the loss in real terms that workers suffered in the past couple of years. That means a 7.5% increase in one year. Unless that offer is made, workers should engage to have co-ordinated ballots for strike action in the South.

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