A protest that only registered with me via the traffic bulletins on the radio yesterday evening. Various public sector workers including firefighters, teachers, administration staff and healthcare workers gathered on Molesworth Street last evening to voice their opposition to recent budget announcements that will affect their pay and entitlements.

I popped up around to have a look on my way home at about 7. From a rough count I could estimate only maybe 100 – 200 people there from the various unions and bodies listening to speeches from their representatives.

A quick flick through RTE, Irish Times and Independent online streams I can’t see anything about it and the news item I read about it on the ASTI website yesterday has disappeared or broken. Odd. Either way, counter goes up.

Met Office picket line

Most of the public sector came to a standstill today as workers mounted pickets at their workplaces and government offices around the country, with the exemption of those involved in frontline assistance in areas devastated by flooding in the south and west.

The Irish Times has a list of the services that were effected – basically everything but essential services and public transport were simply not available today. Representing unions have ended the day of strike with the announcement of a further day of protest and strike action on Thursday next, December 3rd if no deal is reached during talks with government.

During the day the ASTI were put in the media spotlight as it emerged the union had instructed members to picket schools only from 8.30am to 10am. The efforts of striking workers was further tarnished as AA Roadwatch reported increased volumes of traffic headed northbound on the motorway with shop owners in Newry reporting a noticeable increase in customer numbers.

Protest counter goes up to 17.

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.