(en) WSM.ie: We extend our solidarity to the 1000's of workers striking against Austerity today in the north of Ireland, England and Wales.

Thousands of local government workers in the 26 district councils across northern Ireland 
are taking strike action against the continued imposition of below-inflation wage 
increases and pensions 'reforms' that force them to work longer for a smaller pension. 
---- The strike also covers Housing Executive, Education & Library Boards, NSL (Traffic 
Attendants), Youth Justice Agency, Libraries NI, CCEA and some other smaller public 
bodies. ---- The strike takes place on the same day as strikes by equivalent workers in 
England and Wales, as well as Firefighters and Education workers. ---- Workers from these 
trade unions voted to strike.NIPSA, UNISON, UNITE, GMB, SIPTU, PCS ---- According to Matt 
Dykes, the TUC's Senior Policy Officer for Public Service "five years of pay freezes and 
below inflation pay caps have had a hugely damaging impact on the living standards of 
public sector workers.

TUC analysis shows that thging impact on the living standards of public sector workers. 
TUC analysis shows that the average public sector worker is ?2,245 worse off in real terms 
since this government took office. In local government, where almost two thirds of the 
workforce are paid below ?21k a year and around half a million workers are paid less than 
the Living Wage, workers will have experienced a real terms pay cut of 18% by the end of 2014.

A home help who has been at the top of her pay scale for four years was earning ?13,189 at 
the beginning of 2010. She now earns ?13,621 ? an increase of just ?432 since 2010. But 
had her pay increased in line with inflation, she would now be earning ?15,820 ? which 
means that she?s lost out on ?2,199 in real terms. Under the same analysis a refuse 
collector on the top of his pay scale has missed out on ?2,949 in real terms. He was 
earning ?16,440 in 2010 and is now on ?16,770 ? an actual increase of just ?330."