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On This Day: 3rd October  Events and documents from this date in history

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1932

Belfast Outdoor Relief Strike

On the 3rd of October 1932, the Outdoor Relief workers strike in Belfast began. The strike followed a series of marches throughout the Summer.

The “outdoor relief” scheme offered poor pay for hard labour on public works to the growing number of unemployed workers in the city. The unsustainable levels of poverty resulted in cross-community action.

This issue of Shankill Bulletin from 1981 describes the background:

Forty nine years ago this month was a truly historic moment in the history of the working people in Belfast, when the Falls and Shankill fought side by side against the evils of poverty and starvation. The depression of unemployment had soared to over 60,000 and conditions were appalling. An indication of how desperate the situation was is reflected in the incredibly high child mortality rate of 119 deaths per thousand babies born in 1931.
2018

Raise the Roof Rally

This rally was organised by Raise the Roof, a campaign initiated by the ICTU with support from several Trade Unions, political parties, campaign organisations and independents, outside Leinster House on the 3rd of October 2018. It was called to demand action on the housing crisis from the government.

Details of this demonstration

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