PUBLIC sector workers in Hammersmith and Fulham have been taking part in nationwide strikes today.
Teachers and council workers were cheered and greeted with tooting horns by passing motorists as they picketed outside the town hall, in King Street, this morning.
Thirty schools have been forced to close during the walk out over pensions and an extension to the age of retirement with libraries, hospitals and council services also affected.
But Dennis Charman, National Union of Teacher branch chairman, said there has been widespread support for the strike action.
He told the Chronicle: “We have had a lot of interest and support and the amount of people who came out to picket shows the strength of feeling involved. People are supportive and they understand that we are fighting for our rights.”
Lena, a 61-year-old primary school teacher, said: “I am here to support the next generation of teachers rather than myself. We deserve our pay and deserve our pensions because we work hard in a very stressful job.”
Government plans to raise the retirement age to 67 has left those workers planning the end of their working life angry and disillusioned.
Paula, 34, and Liz, 59, both work in H&F Council's housing department, and joined the picket for the first time.
“This is the first time I have striked,” said Paula. “But I have just been getting more and more angry and more and more concerned about the future.”
Liz said: “I was not sure if I wanted to strike or not but I saw Michael Gove on television on Monday and it angered me so much that I joined the union. It is outrageous to expect us to have to work until we are 67 and pay more into a pension pot.”
How have the strikes affected you? Are you sympthetic or are the strikers demands' unjustified? Please tell us your views by posting a comment below.
