Nation braces for wave of public strikes

HOSPITALS, schools and vital services could be crippled by open-ended national strikes in the new year, union leaders warned last night as anger over budget cuts to public sector pay and welfare benefits intensified.

SIPTU president Jack O’Connor escalated the battle with the Government after wage cuts of 5%-7% were forced on most state workers, threatening a fresh wave of intensive industrial action unless ministers backed down. “It is open to us to name a day, some day in January and say that’s the day we’re stopping – my union has a mandate for that – and that we won’t be starting again until it’s over one way or the other.”

Mr O’Connor stressed he hoped such extreme action would not be needed.