Britain faces mass strike action

Thousands of UK schools, colleges, courts, Government offices and jobcentres will be closed or disrupted today when teachers, civil servants and other workers stage the biggest strike for five years, in a bitter row over pensions.

Air travel could also be hit and driving tests cancelled because of the 24-hour walkout by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), University and College Union (UCU) and Public and Commercial Services union (PCS).

Around 3,000 civil servants in the north are also taking part in the strike. Officials at Belfast City Airport said however they did not expect the strike action to affect flights and plan to operate as usual today.

Rallies and marches are being held across the country, including Aberystwyth, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Colchester, Derby, Dover, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea, Wigan, Wrexham and York.

Leaders of the four unions involved in the strike will attend a march and rally in central London, which is expected to be attended by thousands of union activists.

Students, anti tax avoidance group UK Uncut and other campaigners will also stage demonstrations in the biggest outbreak of industrial unrest since the coalition government was formed over a year ago.