Protesters at Hillsborough call for money to be released for pay awards as political talks continue

Protesters have gathered outside Hillsborough Castle to call for the return of the Stormont Executive as the main political parties meet with Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.

Northern Ireland has been without an Assembly since February 2022 and the country is set to be hit by a day of strike action by public sector workers on Thursday over a lack of a pay award.

The industrial action will be taken by health workers, teaching staff, roads service and police amongst others.

“We are absolutely disgusted that in a dispute that has lasted a year we still have seen no progress for our members,” said Dr Graham Gault, National Secretary of National Association of Head Teachers NI.

“For three years the teaching profession in has not had a single penny awarded in terms of a pay uplift, but we’ve seen increase after increase for colleagues across ever other part of these islands. It’s a disgrace that teachers in Northern Ireland have been treated in this way.

“We blame the Secretary of State who has the money but will not release it, but we also blame our own politicians who are culpable because this isn’t a new problem, the erosion of teacher pay has happened over the last 13 years.

Colin Autism Support and Advice Group says the strike will have a huge impact on children.

“I have a son who is in special school education, over the next 15 days of school he’s facing eight days of closure as opposed to his mainstream sister who is only facing one day of closure,” Deborah Maguire from the group told UTV.

“We do support the strikes, we do support fair pay, we are protesting for the government to pay them. The money is there, it needs allocated, the DUP need to take their seats. They need to get this country back on its feet and allow people to work.

“Children with special needs require a lot of routine and a lot of structure. When they are facing eight days without that that is going to impact their sleep routine, their eating, it’ll promote self-harming behaviours. This is going to have a detrimental effect on the mental health of the child and the family as a whole.”

In December, the UK Government offered the parties a £3.3 billion package to stabilise finances in Northern Ireland, including £600 million to settle public sector pay claims. However, it is dependant on the Stormont institutions being restored. The UK Government has previously said it has no authority to implement the pay award as it is a devolved matter.

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