NHS workers vote to strike

HUNDREDS of health workers in Northern Ireland have voted for strike action.

GMB members working as nurses, ambulance workers, hospital porters, cleaners and caterers, clerical staff, technicians, care workers, social workers and transport workers voted to walk out by a margin of 86 per-cent.

The union will now meet with members to discuss next steps, with industrial action possible before Christmas.

Health workers in Northern Ireland are angry over the lack of any kind of pay offer to help with the cost of living crush and unsafe staffing levels.

Jim Donley, GMB organiser, said, “This vote for strike action shows the NHS workforce across Northern Ireland are desperate.

“They’ve faced years of real terms pay cuts, a deadly pandemic and now a crushing cost of living crisis. They’re being pushed to the limit.

“But more than pay – this is as much about patient safety. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient.

“The NHS in Northern Ireland is on life support – the Westminster Government needs to provide urgent extra funding or the service as we know it will cease to exist.”