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Irish strikers go on shopping spree

Irish workers caused traffic jams on Tuesday as hundreds made use of a one-day public sector strike to do some Christmas shopping in the cheaper stores across the border in Northern Ireland.

Unions said more than 250,000 teachers, nurses and other public sector workers were taking part in the strike against government plans to cut their pay.

Managers of shopping centres on the UK side of the border said business was like at weekend or pre-Christmas peaks.

“(It) is a direct result of the day of action,” said Peter Murray, manager of the Buttercrane shopping centre in Newry, just north of the border on the main Dublin-Belfast road.

Many families travelled north because schools were closed for the day south of the border.

Shoppers from the Republic of Ireland have caused a mini-boom in places like Newry, cheaper due to the weakness of sterling against the euro and lower UK VAT and rents.

“There are no strike specials,” Murray added.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .