Health crisis: Midwives and other professionals to vote on strike action

Midwives and a range of other allied health professionals could soon be set to join the ongoing industrial action across the Northern Ireland health service.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM), which represents 90% of those employed in the profession in Northern Ireland, opened the ballot today with a firm recommendation to members to vote in favour of possible strike action.

This comes as professionals in working in other key areas of the health service such as radiography and physiotherapy prepare to open ballots next week.

The Society of Radiographers is due to open a ballot on possible industrial action on January 16, while the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists is due to open its ballot on the 13th.

Both unions, in addition to those already engaged in industrial action such as Nipsa, Unite, Unison and the Royal College of Nursing, are demanding health workers here are paid at the same rate as those working elsewhere in the UK.

Karen Murray, the RCM’s director for Northern Ireland, said: “We have exhausted every avenue over a number of years in trying to resolve this dispute with the Department of Health.

“Despite our best efforts to negotiate a fair pay deal for our members the department have failed to come to an agreement.”