Largest public sector strike in a generation
Image 1 of 5
The picket at Holy Family Primary School in Mullingar.Image 2 of 5
The picket at St Colman's National School in Mullingar.Image 3 of 5
The picket at St Loman's Hospital in Mullingar.Image 4 of 5
The picket at Mullingar Ambulance Station.Image 5 of 5
The picket at Saplings School and Gaelscoil an Choillín, Mullingar.Tens of thousands of public sector workers are on strike across the country today.
Around Mullingar, there are pickets at the schools, HSE and council premises.
It is the largest mobilisation of workers in Ireland in a generation.
Union members working in hospitals, the ambulance services, universities, fire services and state agencies are joining the nationwide public service stoppage.
The cost of living crisis is uppermost on the minds of those on the pickets who the Westmeath Examiner has spoken to this morning.
Image 1 of 8
The picket at Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar.Image 2 of 8
The picket outside St Mary's Primary School.Image 3 of 8
The picket outside St Mary's Primary School.Image 4 of 8
Picket outside Mullingar Garda Station.Image 5 of 8
Jean Fox, SIPTU representative for the Muiríosa Foundation Longford, Westmeath and Meath.Image 6 of 8
The picket at the Muiríosa Foundation in Mullingar.Image 7 of 8
Unite the Union, Harbour Street, Mullingar.Image 8 of 8
The picket outside Presentation Senior School.They agreed that their action today shows the determination of members to secure a better deal for workers as union leaders deal with government they say are dismissive of their concerns.
A common sentiment among those we spoke to was that the cost of living crisis is a struggle for workers in the public and private sectors.
SIPTU members at Mullingar Ambulance Station are taking turns (as are workers elsewhere) on the picket, and pointed out that they are still available for emergency cover.
The Irish Medical Organisation, in a statement confirmed that pickets will be in place today at 30 hospitals, and in preparing to support the action, the union has prioritised patient safety and has taken steps to minimise the impact of the action on patients across the health services and particularly on users of Emergency Departments.
More than 20,000 ASTI members are participating in today’s historic public-service-wide strike over pay, the first of its kind in 17 years.
Other unions represented among the groups we spoke to this morning include the TUI, the PNA and Fórsa.