Up to 170,000 workers are set to go on strike in Northern Ireland today, in a dispute over public sector pay.
Significant disruption is expected as members of the civil service, education, health and transport sectors down tools, with rallies also planned in Derry, Omagh & Belfast.
Workers voted to strike after the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris refused to release funding for a pay deal, until the Stormont Assembly is restored.
Owen Reidy from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is expecting a historic turnout:
Commuters in the north today are being warned to take extreme care as the roads and footpaths have not been gritted because of the public sector strike.
Despite sub-zero temperatures gritters have only been deployed overnight on four main routes, the M1, M2, A1 and A4.
Public transport services are also all cancelled, with the exception of the Dublin to Belfast rail link which is operating a limited service between Dundalk and Dublin.
