Supportive 'honks' from motorists as striking staff bring public services to a halt

Cork city centre’s public services ground to a halt today because of sector-wide work stoppages, but public opinion was on the side of the striking workers, to judge by the supportive horn honks from people driving by picket lines.

Protesting along with his colleagues outside the Anglesea St fire station, Cathal Murray said the protest was about “the failure of government to have a proper, structured pay deal with public-sector workers”.

He told The Echo that they were protesting between emergency call-outs. “People are finding it hard, with the cost of living, increase in fuel, rent, home-heating costs. I think the Government are not engaging properly with unions, and haven’t for a long time,” he said.

Down the street at Cork City Hall, Fórsa’s Cliona Dineen said: “Everyone is really struggling. We had people struggle to get to the picket line, because they were struggling to put money in to their tank. We have others struggling with childcare. Renting is a huge expense. Everyone is feeling the pinch.”

Hundreds of Cork University Hospital staff were out picketing with representatives from unions including the Irish Medical Organisation, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, SIPTU, Fórsa, the Psychiatric Nurses Association and Medical Laboratory Scientists.

Jibin Soman of the INMO said that amongst CUH staff: “Everyone is tired, everyone is frustrated, everyone is done.

“The cost of living is so high, people are leaving the country,” including people who have recently emigrated to Ireland, due to the cost of rent, fuel and groceries, he said.

“The rent for a family of four is €2,500, how can a nurse afford that?” he asked.

Mr Soman added that his own salary “just pays the bills – there’s no life”.

Don Meskell, who works in administration in CUH, and was protesting with Forsa, and said that the large crowd outside CUH was a measure of how frustrated people are with the cost of living and that pay increases haven’t kept pace, adding: “People’s patience eventually runs out.”

Brendan O’Connor, who was protesting with SIPTU at the hospital, said that given their last agreement expired in June “we should have been having talks back in April”.

The government came to the table last minute and are not offering fair increases, he said.

“We provide a vital service in the hospital and we just want to be recognised.”

INMO assistant director of industrial relations, Liam Conway, told The Echo: “People are saying it’s the largest picket they’ve seen in Cork for a public sector dispute.

“People can’t afford mortgages, they can’t afford to live close to the hospital. We have people commuting 100km a day one-way.

“Wages are completely eroded by the cost of living, people are going without the very basics and trying to make decisions for their kids and families.”

Michelle Donnelly, protesting at Mercy University Hospital with SIPTU, said that the government was aware that the pay deal would run out in June but “it’s been kicked down the line, it’s like it’s come as a shock to them.”

She said that the protest was also “about not being listened to, constantly overworked, doing the jobs of others.”

Protesting outside Cork Educate Together NS in the city centre with the INTO, Maura O’Riordan said: “We just would like the unions and department to engage, it seems there’s been very little engagement.

“We certainly don’t want to be out here, we’d rather be working.”

Outside St Columba’s School in Douglas, deputy principal Hansey Power said: “We are out here today because we just want better conditions for our teachers and our staff.

“We’re standing together because we want fair pay now.

“I’m a parent as well as a teacher, and I know how hard it is for newly qualified teachers starting off, trying to pay their bills and trying to get mortgages.”

University College Cork staff were protesting outside the Western Gateway building and the university’s main entrance, with unions including IFUT, SIPTU and the PWO present. Eoin Sheehan of the IFUT said they had been “left with no choice but to protest.

“We are out today because inflation is running at 4%. We haven’t had a pay agreement since June and our members are getting poorer. They’re not willing to put up with it.”

Rose Smith, one of several Forsa members protesting outside the City Library said that the protest was about workers “not earning a living wage”, particularly new, younger staff.

“Wages are not keeping up with inflation. Everything is a struggle and we feel the government isn’t listening,” she said.

There was also a large crowd outside Cork County Hall, and a huge amount of supportive horn-honking from passing motorists.

Forsa’s Jonathan O’Connor said this was a good show of support from the public, adding: “We can see from polls online, too, that that vast majority of the public supports us.”