Hundreds of thousands of teachers, police workers, immigration officers and other government employees walked off the job Thursday across Britain in a mass strike that could augur a summer of industrial action over deep cuts in public spending.
The picket lines went up to protest proposed changes to state-sponsored pension plans, which would require public-sector workers to increase their contributions, retire later and collect less than they do now.
The government says overhauling the system is imperative in light of the country's huge budget deficit and Britons' longer lifespans. [COMMENT: This is shock doctrine bullshit, as the govt's pension costs will decrease over time. See "30 Jun 2011: Forecast that cost of pensions will fall in the future leads to row over David Cameron's claim that system could 'go broke'" at Guardian.uk]
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The unions declared the strike a success, estimating that up to 750,000 employees, mostly teachers, took part. Classes were canceled at more than 10,000 schools across England and Wales. Some passport-control officers at airports across the country began striking Wednesday night.
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This week, Prime Minister David Cameron appealed to workers to stay on the job. But Emily Cotterill, a history teacher in East London, said she had no choice but to participate.
"We have to go on strike to protect ourselves.... No one's asking for the moon on a stick, just for things to be fairer," said Cotterill, 27, who joined her colleagues in a noisy march through downtown London. "It will raise awareness at least. And if things don't change, there are likely to be other strikes."
The demonstration here in the capital was mostly a peaceful affair, although a few scuffles broke out between police and suspected anarchists in hooded shirts. [COMMENT: ooo-eee-oooh, the anarchists are coming, the anarchists, the anarchists! What would a newspaper do without anarchists? Actually report favorably??]
Security was heavy around Parliament and along Whitehall, the government quarter.
The planned pension changes are part of the government's effort to rein in spending and pare down a public debt that is among the largest in Europe. The Conservative-led coalition has pushed through a plan to slash the budget by a $130 billion in four years, the deepest cuts in a generation, which will leave almost no element of public services untouched. Nearly half a million state jobs are to be axed. [COMMENT from ALAN Baker: "Interesting facts. Total cost to UK govt of pensions in 2010: 117.2 billion pounds. Combined wealth of the 20 richest people in the UK: 124 billion pounds. (Sources: ukpublicspending.co.uk, The Times Rich List)" The LibCon slash and burn is just another wealth transfer as in Spain, Greece, the US, etc etc]
Union activists have promised to keep up their protest against the cuts, which are expected to bite later this year.
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