Cllr Shaun Harkin with strikers at Good Shephard Primary School last November
Said Cllr Harkin: “People Before Before stand 100 per cent with hundreds of thousands of public sector workers and trade unions joining the general strike this Thursday, January 18.
“The cynicism and the manipulation of the Secretary of State has been exposed for everyone to see. He has resources immediately available to begin to address pay disparity and vital funding for our public services.
“He can and should act now.
“The Secretary of State has spent the last two years ramming through cuts, taking away holiday hunger funding for children – and pandering to the DUP’s selfish and sectarian boycott of Stormont.
“He does not care about the devastating impact his cuts and years of Tory cuts have had on our health service, our schools, our transport network and many other services people in all communities here depend on.
“If the Secretary of State refuses to budge, the trade union movement and all of us depending on public services must make it clear strike action and public protest will be escalated.
“The only way we can demonstrate our resolve and our power is by refusing to allow business as usual to continue.
“The general strike is also sending a clear message to those parties intent on being part of a restored Stormont Executive.
“Fair pay for workers and adequate funding for our public services must be a red line for all parties who are claiming to support workers and trade union demands.
“When we say enough is enough, we mean no going back to Stormont’s atrocious record on workers pay demands, privatisation of public services and the denial of stronger trade union legislation.
“All positive and progressive change in our society has come from grassroots action from below.
“Everyone’s future here, our children’s future, the future of our schools, our health service, our transport network and more is tied to the outcome of this struggle.
“We urge everyone to join strikers on picket lines, on the marches and at the mass rallies in Derry and across the North.
“Let’s make January 18 a day the Secretary of State and all those with decision making power one they cannot ignore and will not forget.
“Let’s make it clear that if there is no movement on our demands, this is not the end but the beginning of an escalation of workers, public and community action they will never have seen before.
“Solidarity with the strikers. All-out for the general strike on January 18.”
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