Strikers vow to embarrass Chris Heaton-Harris as they picket his office

Striking public sector workers brought their argument for fair pay to the very doors of the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris in Belfast.

There was no response, nor even a sign Mr Heaton-Harris was inside the ultra modern security glass fronted office block in the city centre as police maintained a presence.

The Secretary of State had been urged up to just hours before the largest strike Northern Ireland has seen in recent times started at one minute past midnight to intervene and secure the release of money for public sector pay awards in the absence of functioning devolved government.

However he continued to refuse, insisting that public sector pay was a devolved matter.

Undaunted by the lack of response at Erskine House on Thursday morning, Nipsa general secretary Carmel Gates roared over a loud speaker: “We’re here to embarrass – Chris Heaton-Harris”, to an approving cheer and repeating of the slogan by gathered strikers.

She went on to quip: “You couldn’t give him a red neck with a blow torch.”

A sleepy and icy cold city centre with conspicuously empty bus lanes soon livened up as the morning wore on with a steady stream of arrivals of striking workers, from health to education, transport and civil servants among others.

There were parades of health workers from the major Belfast hospitals and of transport workers from Translink depots that arrived to lively music put on by teaching union NASUWT members.

Speaker after speaker on a platform before the gates of Belfast City Hall in front of thousands of striking workers lambasted Mr Heaton-Harris’ inaction.

However the DUP, who maintain their refusal to participate in devolved government until unionist concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements, were also criticised.

One striker even held aloft a placard calling for the DUP to be “sent to Rwanda” in reference to the Government’s controversial proposed policy for deporting asylum seekers.

Another placard bore photographs of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Mr Heaton-Harris with the caption: “NHS cares. If only these two did” meanwhile a mention of Sir Jeffrey’s name by a speaker prompted boos.

The crowds filling the wide intersection in front of City Hall were described as “historic”, but there were also vows of the action being “just the beginning” and “continuing the fight” until fair pay for public sector workers has been secured.