Two million taking part in 'historic' UK strike

A strike by up to two million public sector workers in Britain was hailed as “historic” today – closing schools, courts, museums and jobcentres, and disrupting transport, hospitals and Government departments.

Unions reported huge support for the 24-hour walkout in the bitter row over pensions, but warnings of massive delays at Heathrow airport failed to materialise, with passengers saying border controls were “better than usual”.

Union officials accused the Government of “ramping up” possible airport disruption and claimed that “under-trained” staff had been drafted in to cover striking immigration and passport workers.

“Some of those on duty today don’t have proper security clearance. They are not qualified to do the job properly, which is a concern. We will take this up after the strike ends,” said an official from the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union.

The PCS said reports from picket lines showed a “huge” turnout for the strike, with up to 90% of staff in some Government departments, including Revenue and Customs, taking action.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “I have been to pickets around central London and spirits are sky-high, with many other unions besides PCS out on strike.

“People should be very proud of the stand they are making today, in contrast to the shame of the Government. Public sector workers have come together today to show their united opposition to the Government’s prolonged and concerted attacks on their pensions, jobs and communities.”

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, who will address a rally in London later, said November 30 would go down as the day when the union movement and workers fought to protect the economic and welfare advances of the last 60 years.

“The fight to protect public service pensions is the latest battle that working people and their families have had to mount to protect the social and economic advances that have been achieved since 1945.

“But now working people are being asked to pay for the economic mess caused by the greedy City elite whose behaviour this spineless Government has repeatedly failed to tackle."

More than 8,000 probation and family court staff joined the pension strike.

Jonathan Ledger, general secretary of their union Napo, said: “The Government’s attack on public sector pensions is outrageous. Members are being asked to work longer, pay more contributions and receive less pension when they finally retire.

“This is blatantly being done to pay for their deficit and bankers’ mismanagement. A strike was therefore inevitable.”

Hospital employees and workers on the Mersey tunnels were among the first to take action from midnight, setting up picket lines and holding up banners attacking the Government’s pension reforms.

Early Government figures suggested that almost three in four schools were affected by the walkout, although that number could rise.

Earlier Chancellor George Osborne urged unions to resume negotiations as he warned that the strike will not “achieve or change” anything.

The Chancellor insisted that today’s walkout would make Britain’s economy weaker.

He told BBC Breakfast: “The strike is not going to achieve anything, it’s not going to change anything.

“It is only going to make our economy weaker and potentially cost jobs.

“So let’s get back round the negotiating table, let’s get a pension deal that is fair to the public sector, that gives decent pensions for many, many decades to come but which this county can also afford and our taxpayers can afford.

“That is what we should be doing today, not seeing these strikes.”