The Executive Committee of the Labour Party in Northern Ireland (LPNI) on December 3rd 2019 gave its support to the health care workers taking industrial action over pay and staffing levels.

It is in all our interests to have our health service funded to be fit for purpose. In the absence of devolution, responsibility for resolving this dispute lies squarely with the Tory Secretary of State, Julian Smith.

The present crisis in our NHS is the result of years of ideologically driven Tory austerity policies.

It is completely unacceptable for the Secretary of State to leave responsibility in the hands of unelected civil servants, who do not have the power or the resources to take the necessary decisions to solve the dispute.

The executive also welcomes the comments from Dr John Knape , Head of Communications at the RCN, who thanked our message of supported and went on to say that it was “greatly appreciated by the RCN in
Northern Ireland” and that our ” expression of
solidarity is communicated to our wider membership.”