Nursing staff take to the picket line in Omagh

By Jarlath Cowen

NURSING staff at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex took to the picket line this morning (December 15) in a dispute over fair pay and working conditions.

The strike action took place on Friday from 8am, and brought dozens of staff members outonto the picket lines in sub-zero temperatures in an ongoing dispute that is set to continue next Tuesday.

Last month, nursing staff across Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay levels and patient safety concerns.

Amidst the strike, Laura McAleer, a Respiratory nurse in Omagh Hospital, told WeAreTyrone, “striking is not for me, but we have to make a mark, especially for student nurses and new graduates. We need safety for staff and better levels of pay.”

The Royal College of Nursing General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, originally from Carrickmore, has stated, “nursing staff have been left with no alternative but to strike.”

Having met with Steve Barclay this week, she issued a press release, stating, “The government was true to its word – they would not talk to me about pay,

“I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to show nurses why they should not strike this week. Regrettably, they are not getting an extra penny.

“Ministers had too little to say and I had to speak at length about the unprecedented strength of feeling in the profession.

“I expressed my deep disappointment at the belligerence – they have closed their books and walked away.”

The latest industrial action follows a historical walk-out by nurses in Northern Ireland in 2019 due to poor pay and conditions for staff.