Thousands staging UK pensions strike

30 June 2011 Last updated at 15:03 GMT Ben Brown reports from London, Colette Hume reports from Wales and James Cook has the latest from Scotland

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers have gone on strike across the UK over planned pension changes.

Teachers from three unions have walked out and about 40% of state schools in England and Wales have been closed or partially shut.

The Public and Commercial Services union, which includes police support and border staff, are also on strike.

The government says the plans are "fair to taxpayers" and other unions are continuing with negotiations.

It has condemned the strike as has the opposition, although Labour leader Ed Miliband has accused ministers of mishandling negotiations with the unions.

The action by the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and the University and College Union (UCU) affects England and Wales.

The unions say the proposals would mean more work and contributions for a reduced pension.

Department for Education data suggests that 11,114 of the 21,500 state schools in England were hit by the walkouts.

It said in total, 5,679 schools were shut, and another 4,999 were partially closed. Some 201 academies and city technology colleges were also shut, while 235 remained partially open. In Wales, according to local authority figures, more than 1,000 out of 1,800 schools were either closed or partially closed.

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A two-mile protest procession from Lincoln's Inn Fields to Westminster made slow progress along Aldwych, the Strand and Whitehall, usually some of London's busiest thoroughfares.

Women, men and children in sandals, summer dresses and shorts waved flags, blew whistles - and booed as Downing Street came into view.

The mood was carnival-like but the message was one of anger. Teachers don't want to work until 68 but do want the final salary pension they were promised when they started out.

The media, they said, had painted a false picture of an unpopular strike. Onlookers held mixed views. A builder wished them luck, others said that, as taxpayers, they couldn't support the costs.

The security operation was huge - three police helicopters, hundreds of officers stationed along the route and 20 leading the procession itself.

So far, they seem to have had a quiet day, with many protesters reporting a peaceful march. As a small rally was held in Westminster, a group sat down outside the Department for Work and Pensions offices and began chanting "DWP, pension thief" to a drum beat.

The impact of the co-ordinated industrial action began to be felt at ports and airports on Wednesday evening, when some UK Border Agency staff walked out from 1800 BST.

Arriving passengers, but not departing ones, were told to expect delays. However, most airports and ports are not currently reporting any difficulties.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said his members were left with no choice but to take action as the government was not prepared to "compromise on any of the central issues of the strike".

"While they are talking, they are not negotiating," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The walkouts by the PCS, which has around 260,000 members, are being staged across the UK.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson says 90% of police staff who handle calls from the public have not turned up for work and as a result officers were responding more slowly to requests for helpAbout 30,000 workers are on strike in Scotland, including staff at the Scottish parliament, the passport office in Glasgow and civilian employees at defence establishments such as HMS Naval Base FaslaneIn Wales, all national museums have been closed to the public and the DVLA is operating a reduced serviceHome Office employees are among 3,000 people striking in Northern Ireland. Belfast International Airport has warned of possible flights delays as immigration and customs officers join the actionThere are PCS pickets outside the Old Bailey but the courts are open. At Inner London Crown Court, there are no trials sitting with juries and the PCS union says other Crown, magistrates and coroners courts are disruptedThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency said there have been some walkouts but all coastguard stations are "operational and appropriately manned"The Department of Work and Pensions said 18 of the 750 Jobcentre Plus offices across the country were closed, and 40% of staff were on strike In London, where police leave has been cancelled, union leaders and activists marched to Westminster for a rallyIn Liverpool, some 537 out of the 550 staff at the passport office are on strike. Most civil servants at Ministry of Defence and Criminal Records Bureau offices in the city have also walked out

The government said that about 100,000 of the UK's 500,000 civil servants were on strike.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said: "What today has shown is that the vast majority of hard working public sector employees do not support today's premature strike...

"Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but we will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy. But they will be paid later because people live longer."

Earlier, he told BBC One's Breakfast: "People are going to be scratching their heads, wondering why teachers and some civil servants are going on strike while discussions are still going."

Writing on Twitter, Mr Miliband said: "These strikes are wrong at a time when negotiations are going on. People have been let down by both sides - the Govt has acted recklessly".

Meanwhile, Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT, said: "We realise that it's very disruptive for parents and we do regret that. We had hoped to reach a settlement before the industrial action, but the government isn't serious about talks."

Continue reading the main story Schools: Based on information about 75% of schools in England, one third to close, one third to open as normal and one third to be "partially affected". In Wales, more than 1,000 out of 1,800 closed or partially closedJob centres and courts: Will remain open "wherever possible"Benefits: Little disruption expected as 98% of claims are automatedCustoms/immigration: Trained managers to be redeployed to ensure full checks are conducted and borders remain secureCivil service: One in five workers will strike. Staff to be allowed to bring their children into workMiles Templeman, director general of the Institute of Directors told the BBC he believes the strikes have the potential to damage the UK economy.

He said: "We want to be seen as the best country for people to invest in - these sort of messages send something very different.

"The private sector has had to wake up to the tough realities of pension provision in a rapidly changing world, and the public sector must do the same."

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said that people on both sides of the negotiations, as well as Labour Party figures with good union connections, "continue to believe that a deal is the only way that will see the resolution of this - and that a deal is possible".

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told a rally in Exeter: "The living standards of low and medium-paid public sector workers are being hammered in the name of reducing the deficit... Meanwhile those who caused the crisis are getting off scot free."

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