From BBC News · · 1m 10s
Ireland's public sector strike begins
More than 300,000 workers across Ireland's public services walk out over pay, with schools and hospitals hit hard.
In brief
More than 300,000 workers across Ireland's public services walk out over pay, with schools and hospitals hit hard. Over three hundred thousand Irish public sector workers including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants began a twenty-four-hour strike on October fourteenth over a pay dispute with the government…
Strike hits Irish public services
More than three hundred thousand workers including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants are on strike across the Republic of Ireland on October fourteenth.
Schools and hospitals face closures
The twenty-four-hour strike is expected to close schools, cancel hospital appointments and create picket lines across the country during the action.
Workers say pay is not enough
Teachers report they cannot afford housing. Sinéad McCarthy said she had to move to Dubai to save money for a deposit. Linda Kelly of ASTI said teachers are really struggling in terms of their pay.
“It's just not feasible in Ireland to be able to save for a house considering the circumstances and the money that we are on here in this country.”
Government and unions at impasse
Jack Chambers, the Republic's minister for expenditure, called the strike deeply disappointing.Brendan O'Brien of SIPTU said the government's failure to establish formal talks left members with no alternative but to act collectively.
“left our members with no alternative but to act collectively”
The bottom line
Over three hundred thousand Irish public sector workers including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants began a twenty-four-hour strike on October fourteenth over a pay dispute with the government.
