Health Workers Prepare Work-to-Rule | Belfast News

0:00It's September 10th. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Bill Fast News today local news powered by AI. Alright, so health workers across 30 hospitals are gearing up for some industrial action starting September 30th. This isn't a full strike, but more of a work to rule approach. Basically, they'll be stepping back from any extra voluntary work that isn't part of their regular shifts by picking up extra overtime. This move comes as part of a larger push from public sector unions. The Forza Trade Union is also having their members in healthcare do the same thing, starting on the same date. The core issue is that the government hasn't really put a solid offer on the table for a new pay deal and the old one expired back on June 30th. You can understand why the workers are frustrated. They're feeling the pinch of this cost of living crisis just like everyone else, and they feel like their pay needs to be addressed through proper, see. Negotiations. They're saying it's time for the government to actually sit down and talk about it. Now, the Department of Public Expenditure is saying it's a bit disappointing that the unions haven't been engaging more in recent weeks.

1:06They're pushing for both sides to get back to the table, emphasizing their real progress only happens with open, consistent talks, without anyone, setting strict conditions beforehand. So, the ball is really in the court of both the unions and the government to find a way to move forward and get this pay agreement sorted out. It's a situation that's definitely still developing.