Will strong words fall on deaf ears?

THERE was an air of positivity on the picket lines of Omagh last Thursday as the town played its part in the largest public sector strike action for 50 years.

Union members were out early at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex. They were well wrapped up against the 8am cold. Over the coming hours they held placards and waved flags to highlight the importance of their cause.

Motorists tooted their car horns in support. Welcome cups of tea, coffee and refreshments provided a timely respite.

Sausage and bacon baps arrived mid-morning, as more and more workers joined the picket line on the main Donaghanie Road.

There was speculation that the head of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, was going to make an appearance.

Considering her strong Tyrone connections, it seemed appropriate that she would offer support to the strikers in her home area.

Time, though, and other commitments meant that the impromptu visit didn’t happen.

But that didn’t alter the determination of those in attendance from the variety of unions represented.

On the Hospital Road, a dozen or so education workers made their voices heard loud and clear at the Education Authority headquarters.

It was a similar story at the Translink depot, and at Arvalee School and Resource Centre where more than 100 strikers gathered to publicly express their anger.

By 12 noon, they were already heading to High Street for the mass rally at the courthouse. The sight of around 300 Union-members marching up with their union flags and placards was impressive.

Each of the speakers voiced their calls for pay parity in the strongest possible terms.

Whether or not the politicians were listening is the big question. West Tyrone MLAs, Nicola Brogan and Declan McAleer of Sinn Féin and Daniel McCrossan of the SDLP were among those politicians at the Omagh rally.

As the strikers retreated for their lunch in a variety of town centre restaurants and cafes, the political stalemate frustratingly shuffles on. There are few signs of a breakthrough.

So it seems that for now, the strong words of our public sector workers could be set to fall on deaf ears.