Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
India

Britain faces mass strike by public sector workers

Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Jul, 2014 11:52 AM
    Britain is witnessing one of the biggest strikes by public sector employees in three years with up to one million people expected to take to the streets to protest pay freeze and pension changes as part of austerity measures, media reports said Thursday.
     
    Union leaders said more than 50 marches and rallies were organised across England and Wales Thursday, the Guardian reported. 
     
    Health workers and civil servants are joining teachers in the mass demonstration against the austerity measures. 
     
    Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, representing many of the country's lowest paid workers, told the BBC: "Something has got to give -- enough is enough.
     
    "We've got 300,000 now on zero-hour contracts, we've got a million workers in local government earning below the living wage that (Conservative Party leader) Boris Johnson and others talk about, and people are saying: 'We cannot go through another three years of this pay restraint'."
     
    The National Union of Teachers (NUT) says more than 20,000 teachers could take part with nationwide rallies and pickets planned for towns and cities ranging from Cambridge, Leicester, Swansea, Torquay and the Isle of Wight, the Independent reported.
     
    The British government implemented a public sector pay freeze for two years from 2010-12 and has subsequently imposed a one percent pay cap, meaning some of the lowest paid workers have seen their income fall in real terms for more than four years.
     
    The result of a Trades Union Congress research Wednesday showed that since the coalition government led by Prime Minister David Cameron took office, local government workers, teachers, firefighters, civil servants and other public servants were on average 2,245 pounds worse off in real terms.
     
    However, the government has downplayed the extent of the strike.
     
    "The vast majority of dedicated public sector workers did not vote for today's action, and early indications are that most are turning up for work as usual. We have rigorous contingency plans in place, services appear to be working well and we expect most schools and job centres to open their doors," a Cabinet Office spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    How Aam Aadmi Party hit Akali Dal, Congress hard in Punjab

    How Aam Aadmi Party hit Akali Dal, Congress hard in Punjab
    The AAP may not have bagged any Lok Sabha seats anywhere in the country except the four it "unexpectedly" won in Punjab, but the performance of its candidates in Punjab's 13 seats has left even party insiders stumped.

    How Aam Aadmi Party hit Akali Dal, Congress hard in Punjab

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi
    Thousands of BJP supporters gave a rousing welcome Saturday to Narendra Modi, set to be India's prime minister, as he flew into Delhi and set out in a motorcade to the party headquarters.

    Modi gets grand welcome in Delhi, propitiates gods in Varanasi

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly
    Olympic silver medal winning shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won his maiden Lok Sabha election Friday on a BJP ticket by a huge margin while cricketer Mohammed Kaif, who contested on a Congress ticket, lost by a massive margin.

    Rathore the biggest winner among sportspersons, Kaif loses badly

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board
    Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, is set to join the board of India's largest private company, it was announced Friday. The share-holder approval will be sought at the annual general meeting here June 18.

    Nita Ambani to join Reliance Industries board

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday
    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday congratulated BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for leading his party to victory in the Lok Sabha election.

    Manmohan Singh congratulates Modi, to resign Saturday

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat
    Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday took responsibility for the party's worst drubbing in the national election, but did not give credit to Narendra Modi for the BJP victory.

    Sonia, Rahul take responsibility for Congress' worst defeat