Approximately 250,000 public service employees are expected to take strike action tomorrow. There is some confusion over which unions are taking part in the strike but RTE.ie reports that “almost all public offices and schools will be closed, while many outpatient and non-emergency health procedures will be cancelled“.
The following unions are listed as participators in tomorrow’s strike in the press release on the 24/7 Frontline Service Alliance website:
Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors
Garda Representative Association
Irish Nurses Organisation
Prison Officers Association
Psychiatric Nurses Association
SIPTU
As previously highlighted on this blog, the major teachers’ unions are taking part along with members of the CPSU.
Frontline service workers are being exempted from strike action in areas badly hit by flooding such as parts of Cork, Limerick, Clare and Galway while the ASTI have instructed that pickets will not be placed on schools that have been closed due to flooding.
At the end of last week, teacher’s unions including the ASTI, TUI, INTO and IFUT all voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action on Tuesday November 24th.
Over 65,000 primary, secondary and third-level teachers will be taking part in the strike next Tuesday organised by ICTU.
A public sector wide strike on the same day has not been confirmed yet but other public sector workers such as nurses and administrative staff may be joining the teachers in protest next Tuesday.
According to the Irish Times, around 3,500 off-duty frontline services workers from the 24/7 Frontline Services Alliance marched from Parnell Square to Dail Eireann where they handed in a letter expressing concern over potential cuts in pay, allowances and changes in working hours for frontline public service workers ahead of next month’s budget.
Members of the protesting group included Gardai, nurses, fire fighters and prison officers.
Led by a marching band, the protest passed quietly and almost unnoticed.
My demo counter hits 16.
To find out more about the FSA here’s a quick video they’ve published online:
According to the 