the arguments from the government side are very much based on the situation around inflation and rising prices. they say if pay increases were to be awarded to nhs workers and others that go over and above inflation it would simply make that problem worse. and also, its not affordable in the short term either. so at the moment, what it looks like is going to be a december with plenty of disruption but also determination from the trades unions to hold firm and held up a better pgy- to hold firm and held up a better .a ., ~ to hold firm and held up a better la . ., to hold firm and held up a better healthcare workers in northern ireland have gone on strike this morning over pay and staffing levels. let s speak to our ireland correspondent chris page, who joins us from antrim. what is going to be the impact from these strikes? these strikes? dozens of picket lines like this these strikes? dozens of picket lines like this are these strikes? dozens of picket lines like this are be
party has been been blocking its participation over the brexit trade border with the uk. senior civil servants are in effect running northern ireland at the westminster government has been setting budgets for northern ireland in the absence of local ministers. of local ministers. thank you for the update- the latest gdp figures have just come out. nina s here with the latest. good morning. this is something we look at every month, the overall value reflected what we make or do. interesting this month, this is looking at the month of october, during that period the economy grew by 0.5%. on the face of it, good news. it s partly because we compare that with september which was the month that the queen died so economic activity slowed down significantly. if you put it in the context of the three months up to october, overthe context of the three months up to october, over the period the economy 0ctober, over the period the economy contracted by 0.3%. it s the time
and thorough investigation to establish the facts. this tragedy comes just a few days after the loss of three fishermen ofjersey last week. when you speak to people around here, they talk of the disbelief that there could be two tragedies like this in such a short space of time. flags will be flying at half mast here today and there is due to be an island wide silence at 11 may. at 11am. an emergency cobra meeting will take place today to discuss contingency measures for upcoming strikes, which include using the military and civil servants as cover. nurses, ambulance staff, and border force officials all have walk outs planned before the end of the year. in a moment we ll speak to our ireland correspondent, chris page who is in antrim where nhs workers are on strike today. but first let s speak to our political correspondent jonathan blake who is in westminster. what we know about the situation with the government s potential
what that is being read as is an expression of frustration about the political situation in northern ireland. there has been no fully functioning devolved government since february. they are blocking a power sharing executive. the officials, the civil servants here in effect running northern ireland at the moment have been offered a £1a00 pay increase for each individual working in the health service, a minimum of that. union said because of the rising cost of living are amounted to a pay cut in real terms. living are amounted to a pay cut in real terms- prosecutors in greece have frozen all assets of a greek member of the european parliament, eva kaili. she s been arrested in belgium, accused of corruption. bags of cash were allegedly found at her home. investigators believe this was money she received from qatar in return
come out on strike today and they have been on industrial action for a week now but this is the day they have walked out. the dispute is about pay and conditions. as you can hear, the beaks from passing drivers in support and also a rather upbeat playlist to keep people going on what is a very cold day to be out picketing, but do not mistake all that for a lack of determination. these workers say they have had ten years of their pay gradually being eroded stop last week, the civil servants that are in effect running northern ireland, the absence of a devolved government, made an announcement of £1a00 per person pay rise, but the unions rejected that and said because of the rising cost of living, that very high inflation rate, that did not amount to being a rise at all. in fact, in reality, it was a pay cut. the bosses of all the health trusts in northern ireland issued a joint statement saying they