At over 10,000 pickets across the country, trade union members young and old chanted in unison, on Wednesday 14th October. Hear from our members as they describe the atmosphere and feeling on the picket lines.
Róisín Cronin of the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown local government branch said the atmosphere was incredible throughout the day: “Our members really showed up. From the early shift outside County Hall in Dún Laoghaire at 8 am, right through the morning at Ballyogan and our Dundrum office, as well as at pickets outside the libraries across the county, through to our final shift where members continued to show up in large numbers, none of us had seen a day like it. It was an absolute privilege to be able to stand in solidarity with our colleagues for the day, and we got phenomenal support from passers-by, bus drivers and passing motorists.”
“For loads of our members it was their first time ever on strike, and people were buzzing about it. It was such an upbeat day, with a brilliant sense of camaraderie and solidarity.”
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Dublin City Council, Wood Quay
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Kerry ETB HQ
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Dublin Port midnight picket
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Limerick County Council
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Ben Slimm, chair of the Higher Education branch, was on the picket at Munster Technological University (MTU). He said: “The atmosphere on our picket lines was electric from start to finish, and our impact was loud and clear. Ireland needs its public sector workers, and we deserve fair pay that keeps up with the cost of living. During the day members on the picket noticed the change in tone from the Government and welcomed it. But warm words are not an offer."
“What members want is concrete action, and they are more than willing to picket again next week.”
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| University Hospital Limerick |
Deansgrange Library, Dublin |
Angelsea Courthouse, Cork |
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| An Coimisiún Pleanála |
Corlann, Limerick |
Coimisiún na Meán |
Also in Tralee, Karen Condon said there was great solidarity between the different unions on the picket at University Hospital Kerry, with over 400 Fórsa members picketing. Karen said support rolled in from the public and local businesses, with members “hopeful that the strike would lead to positive talks with government.”
Chair of the civil service division Jean Taylor was on the picket at Revenue’s O’Connell St. premises all day. For Jean, if one word had to describe the day, it would be “positivity”. She said: “Members who had never been on a picket chose to stay longer than their rostered shift given the warmth and enthusiasm they felt standing together. Today, so many have texted me saying they’re proud to be in such a strong union.”
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| Leinster House, Dublin |
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| Commissioners of Irish Lights Headquarters, Dún Laoghaire |
Mater Hospital, Dublin |
Guardian Angels National School, Dublin |
Down at Dublin City Council’s Civic Offices at Wood Quay Audrey Lambert told media how important it was to make local authority workers work visible: “We provide such vital services for the public. We keep the city going and we deserve to have a pay rise going with inflation rates.”
Pointing to an uncollected bin nearby she said: “It’s just one bin, but it’s the perfect example of the impact when council services stop. It shows the amount of work we are doing, not only to the public, but to the Government, because if you listen to them, we’re not doing much for the pay rise, but if you look around you, the city is not clean today.”
Interviewed by the Irish Examiner on a picket at Cork City Hall member Cliadhna Dineen said: “Everyone is really struggling; we had people struggle to get to the picket line because they were struggling to put money into their tank, we have others struggling with childcare.
“Renting is a huge expense, especially in the city, everyone is feeling the pinch.”
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| Government buildings, Dublin |
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| Donegal town |
National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire |
Letterkenny Hospital |
In Cavan, Fórsa member Tom O’Brien, told the Anglo Celt newspaper that he worries about the impact of the cost of living on younger workers, saying: “One person I spoke with told me that, after paying all his bills, he had just €50 left at the end of the week to cover food and everything else. I asked him what that meant for his social life, and he said he didn’t have one because he simply couldn’t afford it. All we’re trying to do is put a little extra money in people’s pockets.”
Neil Mathlin from the Kildare Health branch described the feeling that everyone on the picket was there for a “united reason”, saying everyone remained in high spirits throughout the day, with great support from the community, concluding that “Passion didn’t wain during the day and all said they were prepared to picket again next week.”
In the west, hundreds of members demonstrated across Galway. In Moycullen, SNA Josephine Cooney talked to the Connaught Tribune about the importance of the public sector standing together, saying: “We are here for fair pay all over the public sector. I am here to be heard and support everyone in the public sector,” she said. “It is great to see everybody out together.”
County by county members stood together. Check out a roundup of local media coverage below:
Athlone public sector workers join strike action | Westmeath Independent
Broadcasting to the Border Counties, Midlands and West, Shannonside Northern Sound. | Shannonside.ie
'Everyone here is providing essential services to the public of Waterford': workers on the pickets - News - Waterford News & Star
County wide strike action | Tuam Herald
'The government needs to wake up': chair of Forsa South Tipp Branch
Strike action supported in several West Cork communities | Southern Star
Kerry public sector workers say they’re willing to strike for as long as it takes | RadioKerry.ie
Strong support for public sector workers as stoppages held across Birr & South Offaly
‘Members are now paying to go to work’ - strike action in Letterkenny
Donegal council workers join 31 Local Authorities in industrial action - Highland Radio
Supportive 'honks' from motorists as striking staff bring public services to a halt
Strikes In Kildare : A Snapshot Of The Largest Public Sector Action In Almost 20 Years - Kfm
Huge turnout in Laois for public sector strikes - News - Laois Nationalist
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| Criminal Courts of Justice, Smithfield |
Irish Embassy & Perm Rep, Brussels |
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