People share their views on the strikes in Northern Ireland
- Published
A cancer patient, a concerned parent and a home care assistant tell BBC News NI about just how much Thursday's industrial action is impacting them.
Mass strike action has caused widespread disruption for many people across Northern Ireland on Thursday.
Nurses, teachers, civil servants and thousands more are taking to picket lines in many towns and cities.
Northern Ireland has experienced several strikes in recent times, but this week's walk-out is being billed as the biggest for years.
Many workers have said that they are taking part in the action because they simply "can't just carry on".
BBC News NI spoke to people and asked how Thursday's industrial action would affect them.
The cancer patient: Caroline Landers
Caroline Landers has stage three breast cancer and is missing three appointments due to strike action
Caroline Landers from Derrylin, County Fermanagh, has had three hospital appointments in Londonderry re-scheduled.
Ms Landers has been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and has completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but is to have further follow up treatment.
She only had final confirmation on Wednesday that her appointments at Altnagelvin Hospital were no longer going ahead as planned.
Despite this, she is fully supportive of the strike action and said she was completely behind the nurses, even if it meant her appointments are affected.
She said she had seen first-hand how hard health staff worked are and how much pressure the health system was under.
"I am fully in support of the nurses going out on strike because of the job they do," she said.
"They are entitled to equal pay compared to the rest of the UK, so I am fully in support of rearranging my appointments to let them have their voice."
Ms Landers is one of many people who has seen her hospital appointments affected as many nurses, midwives and other medical staff take part in industrial action.
Many hospitals, including Altnagelvin, will be running at reduced service on Thursday, with hospital bosses warning of strikes having a "massive impact on healthcare".
The care worker: Ashleen Quigley
Home care assistant Ashleen Quigley says she is worried about going to work
Ashleen Quigley is a home care assistant from Limavady who says she fully supports workers' right to strike, but cannot support any action that will see some roads not being gritted during a weather warning.
Members of two unions, Unite and GMB, which represent some gritter operators for Northern Ireland roads will be taking part in week-long strike action from Thursday.
The action coincides with a period of very cold weather, with snow and ice warnings in place for the week.
Ms Quigley, who works for a care agency, said her job required her to drive up to 50 miles a day visiting people, often elderly, in their homes.
"I am expected to provide care on Thursday and due to all the weather warnings you would expect the salters to be out," she said.
"For the likes of us, how are we expected to get to our clients or whatever whenever the weather is so bad?
"I am quite nervous to go out to work because I am up a lot of back roads, country roads and I feel a bit pressured getting to these individuals because they need care.
"I understand why they are going on strike, but there have been such serious weather warnings going out this week I just don't think it should be going ahead - I think it should be postponed."
Ms Quigley said she feared "lives are being put at risk" if people who need to drive as part of their work are having to go out on untreated roads.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has appealed for people to only make "essential journeys on Thursday due to cold weather and limited gritting.
The concerned parent: Linda Devenney
Linda Devenney's son, Luca, has had his hospital appointment re-scheduled.
Linda Devenney said she was "angry and disappointed" that her son's hospital appointment has been postponed due to the strike action.
Luca, who is 19 months old, has been dealing with serious eczema issues for a year.
He was due to have a dermatology appointment on Thursday, but his mother said that this now been re-scheduled.
"I'm gutted, this might seem minor to some people, but he has been having so much trouble and has been scratching until he bleeds in the middle of the night," she explained.
"It was an important appointment because I'm at my wits end with it all - I'm angry and very disappointed."
Mrs Devenney said she supported those who feel the need to strike for fair pay, but said "causing so much disruption in one day is just not on".
"I'm also angry because it's been known for some time now that thus strike was happening," she said.
"Why did I only get a phone call this week about the cancellation? It's just not good enough."
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