Strike set to close Cumbria schools (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Strike set to close Cumbria schools
9:30am Thursday 24th November 2011 in Allerdale news
SCHOOLS across Cumbria are expected to close on Wednesday, November 30 as thousands of public sector workers strike over planned Government changes to pensions.
The Trade Union Congress is leading a day of action, which is set to see a walk-out by members of teaching unions, UNISON and the GMB.
Alan Rutter, of the National Union of Teachers, said: “All the feedback I’m getting is that members are going to take solid action over this – we are expecting the vast majority of schools to close.”
Rallies will be held in Carlisle Old Town Hall, Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall and Lancaster’s Dalton Square from noon, with speakers from a range of unions expected to address protesters.
The strike is the second walk-out this year over pension changes which would see employees working longer and paying more to receive a lower pension.
Emergency services frontline staff will not be affected but the majority of police stations in the county will be closed as administration staff join the protest.
Police station front counters in Kendal, Barrow and Workington will remain open.
More than 7,000 of Cumbria County Council’s staff are union members but a spokesman said it was difficult to calculate just how many would be on strike.
Comments(2)
A Kendal lass
says...
12:00pm Thu 24 Nov 11
1) There is a legal right to strike, assuming the procedures are followed properly. It applies to people in almost every job in the country, in public and private sectors.
2) "Normal jobs"? What, like nurses, police, teachers, binmen, lollipop ladies, hospital cleaners and porters etc? You mean jobs like that?
3) People are striking because they are being expected to pay more money out of their wages in the guise of it being into their pensions. Yet they will get lower pensions. So where's the money going? It's going direct to the Treasury to pay off the gambling debts of the financiers.
4) I am not now and never have been a public service worker. I do, however, believe in facts and in fairness.
johnwalker1000 says...
10:28am Thu 24 Nov 11