Trade unionists gather in city

About 100 people attended the gathering in Derry

Trade unionists gathered in Londonderry city centre on Friday to protest about cuts in the public sector.

About 100 people gathered in Custom House Street at 1300 GMT, while other activists gathered in nine other towns and cities across Northern Ireland.

Bumper Graham, NIPSA's deputy general secretary, spoke at the event and said it was "the start of the fight back".

"We are witnessing cutbacks in health, housing, education, local government and the civil service," he said.

"The taxpayer has given £77bn to the banks, yet our public services in Northern Ireland are struggling when one tenth of that amount of money would give us first class services.

"No longer are we going to allow our politicians to mismanage the economy. Be that in London, or by the NI Executive or indeed councillors.

"In this city we have had councillors rightly condemning cuts in the private sector at the likes of Stream, but at the same time prepared to chop over 60 jobs in their own council.

"That's hypocrisy from Derry City Council."

Many local councillors attended the demonstration, as well as Foyle MP Mark Durkan and Foyle MLA Martina Anderson.