“The trade unions signed up to this declaration have agreed to cooperate in a coordinated campaign of industrial action against assaults on delivery of public services through attacks on the jobs, pay and pensions of public sector workers and the most marginalised in our communities.
“The declaration is a signal to those in Government in Northern Ireland that the unions, with the support of local communities, will resist the cuts which are being implemented by the NI Executive.
“All the unions party to the declaration plan to commence preparations leading to a balloting of their members for industrial action, in what will represent an unprecedented unity of ordinary workers to prevent loss of public services to the community across Northern Ireland, joblosses and any further erosion of the pay, pensions and other terms and conditions of employment.
“A coordinated campaign of action will galvanise opposition in Northern Ireland to the cuts in public spending and welfare benefits that will severely damage the fabric of our society resulting in a huge increase in unemployment in both the private and public sectors and which will create greater inequality and exacerbate the already unacceptable high levels of poverty in Northern Ireland.
“If there is no reversal of these attacks on ordinary working people then we are unfortunately facing a prolonged period of industrial strife, commencing in autumn or earlier where specific services and jobs are under immediate threat”