Over 5000 people descended on Derry and Belfast yesterday to join with the trade union movement in saying no to cuts. UNISON activists young and old, from towns, cities and villages made the trek to attend the demos.

It was no shock that UNISON, with its many members in health, education and community and voluntary services, all of which are under threat, showed the biggest contingent in Derry and Belfast on the day.

Activists in the Mater Hospital joined by North and West Social Care and Belfast Education branches marched from the north of the city. Meanwhile Belfast City Hospital Branch was joined by Greenpark Health and South and East community Care to mount an impressive display of strength and solidarity from south and east Belfast.

Simultaneously, the Royal Hospital supported by Community and Voluntary, Education branches and the Blood Transfusion Service marched a massive contingent down Grosvenor road from the west of the city to merge with fellow UNISON activists en route to city hall

The impressive sight continued towards City Hall led with coffins marked NHS – RIP, alluding to the attempts by the Tory/Lib-Dem alliance to kill off the NHS.

At City Hall, UNISON activists, members and supporters gathered from far and wide with all other trade unions.

Ulster North Down and Ards Branches rallied first at Newtownards en route Belfast. UNISON Health Agencies Branch rallied from Linenhall Street whilst their North West members joined the Derry Rally. The Ambulance Branch covered both Belfast and Derry.

Down Lisburn Health travelled from Lisburn and Downpatrick whilst Down Education travelled from across the South Eastern Education Board area.  Armagh/Dungannon Health was joined by representatives from the Southern Education board as they made their way to the Demo.

A large contingent travelled from Northern Health Branch via Ballymena, Larne, Antrim, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey, spreading the message loud and clear as they went, whilst Causeway health branch travelled from Coleraine to meet with their colleagues and co workers.

Representatives from Newry and Mourne health branch travelled also, to be met by members from University of Ulster Belfast Campus as they all joined in unison at the Belfast Rally.

Meanwhile at Derry’s Guildhall hundred’s of UNISON members, activists and supporters gathered shoulder to shoulder with hundreds more from sister unions to impress upon the British government and our local politicians at Stormont that cuts to public services simply will not be tolerated.

Omagh/Fermanagh Health Branch and Sperrin Devenish education Branches travelled on buses from Eniskillen and Omagh to show support, whilst and excellent turnout from Foyle Health Branch and Derry Education Branch along with members in North West Housing and the Community and Voluntary sector guaranteed that almost 1000 voices were heard loud and clear in the maiden city.

Yesterdays public expression of discontent was an impressive sight to behold. As thousands gathered to hear the leaders of the trade union movement spell out exactly where the blame for the recession lies, and exactly where the cuts should happen, it was clear that a determined anti cuts movement was taking shape.

UNISON regional secretary, Patricia Mc Keown, addressed the rally in Belfast laying the blame for the recession and the onus for recovery firmly at the doors of the economic elite in our society:

She said:

“They’re telling us were all in this together, well we’re not in it. We’re not in any project that will cut and destroy our public services…But we are together and together with the people, and hopefully as this campaign grows together with our politicians and all of our political parties in a very strong campaign to protect our services, our welfare state, our NHS and our future.

“Imagine a world without the fire service, the health workers, the social care workers, the council workers, the civil servants, the cleaners; who keep our schools, our hospitals, our streets, our parks, our cemeteries in a fit state for the citizens. Just imagine that world.”

“And when did it become their fault that a global economic crisis happened? If the governor of the bank of England can stand in front of the TUC, two weeks ago, and say to the workers ‘it wasn’t your fault it was our fault’, then how dare any government tell us that it’s our fault?!”

“We are not just saying no to cuts, no to privatisation, no to dismantling of the welfare state as we know and love it. We are going further and saying, it doesn’t have to happen at all. It is time the people were told the truth. The UK government is not broke; it is still the fifth wealthiest country in the world. And if they were to take some serious and real actions on behalf of the people, they would have all the money they need to fund our public services, develop our private sector and boost our economy.

“For example: they took 160 billion pounds of our money and they bailed out the banks. The banks are back in profit – where’s the money? If they get the money back, the take for northern Ireland is £3 billion, and not a single cut need be made!

“If they were to tax the wealthy fairly, the take for the people of northern Ireland would be almost £1 billion! If they were to get rid of the tax havens and financial crooks, the amount of money coming back to the people of northern Ireland would be £250 million pounds a year, and if they were to cancel a weapon of mass destruction they do not need, (the replacement for trident nuclear missile program) which a former prime minister referred to as Britain’s ‘military willy’, they would save billions of pounds over the next 40 years and the people of northern Ireland’s take would be 200 million a year.

“Those are straightforward things that a smart economist and a smart government could do. Stop frightening the people and stop saying there is no money.

“Try telling the vulnerable in this society, the elderly and infirm, people with mental health problems, people in despair, and try telling our children, that they should pay for the mistakes of a corrupt capitalist system.

“We the people are saying NO and we are not here on our own, we are not only joined by elected representatives but by the community and when we come out in one months time we want to see one a and a quarter million people mobilised saying to they’re politicians, stand together, stand up to Cameron and Clegg, tell them they’re not touching our money, tell them its our just desserts, tell them that the promises they made will be delivered or it will be the people of northern Ireland they will face….

“The fight back has begun, the campaign runs from here on in.”