����ý

Thousands of civil servants from Northern Ireland's largest trade union are to go on strike on 26 April.

This will coincide with a planned teachers strike on the same date.

Last month, the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa) said 85% of respondents voted for strike action and 94% for action short of strike.

It represents more than 16,000 workers across a range of government departments.

The union said this will be its first day of "all out action" and they are seeking to coordinate the strike with other trade unions.

In January, it was announced civil service workers would be offered a pay rise of £552, backdated to August 2022, however, the union had called for a rise of inflation, plus 5%.

The UK inflation rate in February was 10.4%.

Previously, Stormont's department of finance said it "recognises and regrets the offer is below what staff and unions will expect in a very challenging year".

Official figures suggest the typical full-time civil servant in Northern Ireland was paid £28,706 in 2022, meaning an extra £552 is equivalent to 1.9%.

'Utterly shameful'

Nipsa's general secretary Carmel Gates the strike would cause "fairly significant disruption".

"After the strike action, we then plan for targeted action and selective action," she said.

"In all, the campaign will be fairly hard hitting. As I said this is our first strike day but it certainly won't be the last."

She said members had been treated as "second-class citizens" by the government.

"With food and other costs soaring, government workers now need a second job just to make ends meet. This is utterly shameful."

Ms Gates added she believed both GMB and Unite members intended to join the strike action.