Unions urge Stormont to agree budget or face strikes

Trade unions have called on Stormont to reach an agreement on a fair budget or risk escalating a series of strikes. The Executive has been operating without a budget for five months into the current financial year, allowing officials to spend up to 95% of last year's funding. All parties involved in the Stormont political parties have stated their need for additional funding from London to agree on a budget.

However, despite ongoing talks with the Treasury, no progress has been made in securing further money. Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his willingness to assist in resolving the budget crisis during his first official visit to Belfast, but maintained a listening stance. In January 2024, unions coordinated the largest walkout in decades, with an estimated 100,000 public sector workers participating in rallies across Northern Ireland.

This time, the trade union movement's leadership met to discuss the increasing discontent among workers in both private and public sectors due to the lack of a budget and the UK government's refusal to provide adequate funding. Gerry Murphy, assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, stated that they previously forced the political class to face up to its responsibilities and will do so again.

Murphy emphasized that despite the Executive's restoration, there is still no Northern Ireland budget due to political stalemate. The UK government has acknowledged its role in underfunding Northern Ireland but still refuses to provide funding equivalent to that in Scotland or Wales. Trade unions insist that a fair and enduring settlement for public service funding in Northern Ireland is necessary.