THOUSANDS of public and private sector workers from across Northern Ireland have turned out in Belfast to support a UK-wide protest against government austerity cuts.
Union leaders are expected to call for a general strike to be held as soon as possible after Saturday’s protests.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the massive turnout showed how unpopular the coalition’s policies were.
He told the Press Association: “We are sending a very strong message that austerity is simply failing.
“The Government is making life desperately hard for millions of people because of pay cuts for workers, while the rich are given tax cuts.”
Mr Barber said the resignation of chief whip Andrew Mitchell and reports of Chancellor George Osborne travelling in a first class train carriage with a standard ticket showed how out of touch the Government was.He said: “The Chancellor eventually paid for his ticket, but the rest of us are paying the price for his disastrous policies.”
Labour leader Ed Miliband will be among dozens of speakers at a rally in Hyde Park in London, joining union officials who will spell out the impact of spending cuts on public services.
Mr Miliband is expected to tell the rally that whoever was in government now would have to make some cuts.