UK crawls as millions go on strike against pension cuts

The strike had been planned weeks in advance, after talks between Mr. Cameron’s government and unions broke down over increases to pension costs, part of a huge scaling-back of public services as part of an austerity program designed to slash borrowing dramatically.

·        Two million public sector workers in Britain went on strike on Wednesday over changes to their pensions in the biggest walkout for decades,

·        The strike had broad public support, with polls published by the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Mail finding that a strong majority (61, 79 and 90 per cent, respectively) said they “support” the strikes.

·        British teachers, hospital workers join one-day public sector strike

Most kids didn’t go to school today – 58 per cent of public primary and secondary

schools are closed completely, and only 13 per cent are fully staffed. Hospitals are 

only taking emergency cases, as most nurses are on strike. In fact, the school where 

Mr. Cameron and one of his top cabinet ministers, Michael Gove, send their 

children, St. Mary Abbots Primary School in Kensington, was largely shut down, 

with only two classes open.

·                    At Manchester Airport, only 26 of 176 scheduled international flights arrived today.

·               Garbage collectors, social workers, street cleaners, and some workers at museums       and  children’s centers also closed.

 “I think the public realizes that the reason this strike is going ahead is because of the intransigence from the government and their determination to simply force changes through,” said Brendan Barber, head of the Trades Union Congress. “This is a tax on working-class people to pay for a crisis caused by the failure of the banks. Why are the bankers not being taxed and still receiving their bonuses?”