Up to two million British workers to go on strike

BBC

LONDON, Nov 30: Up to two million public sector workers are staging a strike over pensions in what is set to be the biggest walkout for a generation. READY TO WALK OUT ... Staff from the University and College Union preparing for the strike, Nov 30. Schools, hospitals, airports, ports and government offices will be among sites disrupted, as more than 1,000 demonstrations are due across the UK. It would "achieve nothing", Downing Street said, calling for more talks. Unions object to government plans to make their members pay more and work longer to earn their pensions. Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude branded the action "indefensible and wrong". "While discussions are continuing, I would urge public sector workers to look at the offer for themselves rather than listening to the rhetoric of their union leaders," he said. "These are the sort of pensions that few in the private sector can enjoy." Shadow chief secretary of the treasury, Rachel Reeves, told BBC's Newsnight that Labour did not support the industrial action. "We do not support the strike because a strike is a sign of failure," she said. "But we think the government needs to give something more to low-paid public sector workers. They've just seen their pay is going to be frozen effectively for another two years. "We understand why they are striking, because [there is] effectively a tax increase on public sector workers." Earlier, union leaders reacted angrily to Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement announcements of a public sector pay cap of 1% for two years, as well as bringing forward to 2026 the rise in the state pension age to 67. 'Failure to negotiate' GMB union leader Paul Kenny said: "As well as the shameful unfairness of further pay restraint on already hard-pressed public sector workers, the chancellor's announcements will push the possibility of a pensions deal further away. "The [pension] contribution rises government want are plainly unjustified and unaffordable, while moving the goalposts on retirement age mid-negotiation smacks of deliberate deception. No doubt this will boost the strike turnout tomorrow." Paul Noon, leader of civil service union Prospect, said members felt the chancellor was "aiming yet another punch at them". The 24-hour strike is expected to disrupt courts, job centres, driving tests and council services, such as libraries, community centres and refuse collections. Highways Agency staff will be on strike, as will many Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). It is feared as many as 90% of England's schools could be forced to close by striking teachers. Education Secretary Michael Gove has said it is "unfair and unrealistic" to expect taxpayers to foot the growing public sector pensions bill. General secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers Russell Hobby responded that "blame for any rise in union militancy - particularly among moderate unions - belongs fairly and squarely at the government's door: A failure to negotiate in any meaningful sense until the last minute".