Unions slam PM’s ‘damp squib’ quip

UNIONS hailed a strike by up to two million public sector workers as “historic” yesterday as they angrily rejected claims by the British prime minister that the biggest walkout in a generation had been a “damp squib”.

David Cameron said that the “irresponsible and damaging” industrial action had been “far from universally supported” as he defended the Government’s controversial pension reforms.

Officials from 30 unions involved in the strike reported huge support, with up to 90% of some organisations taking action, often for the first time in their lives.

The strike closed more than three quarters of schools in England, as well as courts, museums, libraries and job centres, disrupted transport, hospitals and Government departments.

It also led to around 15% of driving tests being cancelled, and was described by unions as the biggest since the 1979 Winter of Discontent.

Physiotherapists, headteachers, librarians, lollipop ladies, refuse collectors, weather forecasters and scientists were among those involved in the stoppage.

Civil service union Prospect said action by 26,000 of its members alone disrupted or stopped work at more than 400 locations, ranging from Ministry of Defence sites to prisons.

More than 1,000 rallies were held across Britain, including one in central London, attended by tens of thousands of workers, some accompanied by their children.

Len McCluskey, leader of Unite, said the rally showed the depth of anger among public sector workers, adding: “The Prime Minister is completely out of touch. I have been to 12 picket lines and there has been a fantastic response both from workers and the general public.

“The Government can try to spin and tell lies, but they have been found out.”

University and College Union leader Sally Hunt said: “Cheap potshots add nothing to what should be a serious debate about millions of people’s futures, and just expose how out of touch the prime minister really is.”

Warnings of massive delays at Heathrow airport failed to materialise, with passengers saying border controls were “better than usual”.

Unison leader Dave Prentis said: “I wouldn’t call two million people taking strike action a damp squib. Cameron is sounding increasingly desperate in his attacks on public service workers.