MORE than 500 health service staff braved torrential rain to join the picket line at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry yesterday.
Catherine Farrell, a Unison branch secretary and healthcare worker for more than 43 years, said they were overwhelmed with emotion as members of the public lined up to pledge support for their cause.
"I am soaked to the skin, as is everyone on this picket line, but we've really made our point and there has been unbelievable camaraderie", she said.
"We've had so much public support, but we just need to the Secretary of State to step in. It's totally unfair that we are being used as pawns to get MLAs back into Stormont - we need pay parity and safe staffing levels now."
Many of those on the picket line stood protesting in tears on a day they never thought they'd have to experience.
Ms Farrell said staff often start a normal day working their own job plus a third of another, but can finish working one-and-a-half or even two people's job due to staff shortages.
"I have been talking to people on the picket line about their Christmas Day and St Stephen's day rotas, staff leaving their families at Christmas while other people are sitting down to a nice meal. They are working flat out and just want to feel valued.
"At one stage we had 500 people on the line at Daisy Hill and we would have a lot more had the rain not been so horrific - some staff had planned to bring their children and had cancelled their day care but obviously couldn't given the weather.
"Almost every car that's driven past has bumped their horn. The number of people who have stopped to give us support, told us to keep going, that we deserve pay parity with our colleagues across the water, it's been emotionally overwhelming,
"We just need the Secretary of State to get his finger out, we should not be used as collateral in a political game."
