Debate contribution: Public-sector Pay

Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on 4 March 2024.

MLA

Ms Cara Hunter

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

4 March 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Public-sector Pay

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4254736

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Our public-sector workers are the very backbone of this place. Our society could not and would not function without them. They are the very tapestry of our society. Our nurses, bus drivers, junior doctors, teachers and more are the threads that hold us together. Yet, in the face of a relentless cost-of-living crisis, they are being stretched to their limits. With inflation rates soaring, the value of wages has plummeted, leaving many unable to afford the basics of life. Our healthcare staff, who are at the front line in saving lives, find themselves struggling to pay bills. Bus drivers who ensure our mobility and connectivity are forced to make hard choices between heating and eating. As was, rightfully, talked about earlier, junior doctors have had no choice but to go on strike. Again, they are the very backbone of our healthcare system, and they work exhausting hours only to face financial instability. Our teachers, tasked with shaping the future of our children and young people, are being undervalued financially and are questioning their ability to continue in their vocation, as are our important classroom assistants. Recently, I attended the picket line outside Rossmar School, which is a special school in Limavady, and spoke with classroom assistants there who detailed that they are working two or three jobs due to the level of financial stress that they are experiencing. When we see the level of care that they provide in that role, it is just crazy to think that they have to do that. We must see an uplift in their pay. That is why this place must honour them and deliver equitable pay awards and resolve all outstanding public-sector pay negotiations. That is why the SDLP tabled the motion. The financial pressure that our workers face has taken a toll on their mental health. Recent studies have shown an uptick in anxiety, depression and stress among all public-sector workers, which directly correlates with financial pressures. Pressure is the key thing when we talk about the need for a pay increase. Our public-sector workers are under significant stress: the pressure is crippling, and it is crushing people. That brings me to my next point, which is the sheer lack of simple pleasures for people. Things that were once considered mundane — a family outing, a small vacation or even a simple dinner out — have, in the eyes of so many, become luxuries that they simply cannot afford. Recently I was speaking with a constituent who said, "After a tough work week, you used to be able to go down to the pub, have a pint and talk it over with your friends, and that was it". Now, even going for a pint does not fit into their budget. That is the level of financial stress that we are seeing. This is not just about economics, it really is about those simple things: the quality of life and the mental well-being of our constituents — our workers — who should not be living to work but working to live so that they can have a high quality of life for themselves and their families. Articles published over the past two years paint a grim picture of the situation in Northern Ireland. For instance, a recent piece highlighted that over 60% of nurses in Northern Ireland are considering leaving the profession. I am the daughter of a nurse, so, over the decades, I have seen the level of stress that nurses are under and the hours that they are on their feet. A former nurse is an MLA in our Chamber. I talked before about the level of stress that our nurses are under and the long hours that they do. They deserve their pay for the job that they do: they are incredible, but they cannot afford to live on their current wages. Another report pointed out the alarming rates at which our bus drivers are their leaving jobs, leading to reduced services and impacting on the daily lives of thousands of citizens. My constituency is very rural, so our bus routes are vital. Those are not isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a broader crisis. Fair pay, in this context, is not just a demand: it is a necessity and it is about acknowledging the fundamental role that those workers play in all our lives and communities and ensuring that they can live with dignity and fair pay. It is about recognising that a society that undervalues its public-sector workers is a society that is at risk of losing them, which would lead to an unimaginable impact on our daily lives and future generations here in the North of Ireland. As we stand at this crossroads, the question before us is not whether we can afford to increase pay for our public-sector workers but whether we can afford not to. The implications of inaction are far-reaching and affect not just the workers and their families but the very fabric of our society here in the North. We must represent the needs of workers within these four walls and we must not see another shameful collapse of these institutions. It is all interwoven and interlinked: let us not kid ourselves. It is time to invest in those who invest in us and recognise their worth with more than just applause. Let us come together to ensure that our nurses, bus drivers, junior doctors, teachers and others can live with the dignity that they deserve, reflecting the invaluable service that they provide to us all. Let us give them the pay that they so rightly deserve.

934 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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