Industrial action by family and childcare services staff during election

Family and childcare workers at a health trust are to take industrial action during the Westminster election.

NIPSA members at the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust’s Family and Childcare Services will strike on July 3, 4 and 5, as part of a rolling programme of strike action and action short of strike action.

Voting in the Westminster election takes place on Thursday July 4.

A NIPSA spokesperson said the strike has been timed to coincide with the election, “as attention has been diverted away from the crisis in healthcare to the inevitable sectarian headcount during election time”.

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The spokesperson added: “The strike is timed to force the political decision makers in the NI Assembly and all the political parties to make a properly resourced health service a priority during this election and to highlight the specific issues in the Family and Childcare Sector.

“Picket lines will be in place at Newtownards, Downpatrick and Lisburn Hospitals and strikers will also take their message to the polling booths and election count centres.

“NIPSA will engage with the employer on mitigations to ensure life and limb cover is in place.”