There was a strong Irish Republican Socialist Party presence today as they joined in solidarity with the striking Health Care workers’ protest at the RVH in Belfast. Belfast IRSP members protested in solidarity with Union members who supported today’s 4 hour strike by hundreds of thousands of essential Health Care workers in the north of Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.
Belfast IRSP spokesperson, Alex McGuigan, speaking at the protest at the RVH stated that, “the IRSP stand totally in solidarity with the striking Health Care workers who have taken industrial action due to the fact that they have been denied even a derisory 1% pay rise. As socialists we value the essential services health workers’ provide on a 24/7 basis helping the entire community, including the nurses, paramedics, hospital porters, ambulance technicians, Midwives and the many other health service workers who were forced to take industrial action today.”
He continued, “we will continue to protest and stand in solidarity with the Health Care workers as their campaign continues. It is a travesty that essential health service workers are being denied a 1% pay rise by a government whose Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) plans to forge ahead with plans to give MPs a ten per cent pay boost next year, taking their average salaries to £74,000 for backbenchers alone, not to mention their overly generous expenses allowances that in effect at least doubles that salary!”
The striking RVH workers were extremely well supported by the general public, with the majority of motorists, including bus drivers and Black taxi drivers on the busy two lane road outside the RVH sounding their horns in support of today’s protest. Pedestrians also pledged their support for the protesting workers. Protesting health workers thanked the IRSP for their presence and their solidarity support today.
