NEARLY three-quarters of a million public sector workers from eight unions went on strike against the Tory government on Budget Day, Wednesday 15th March, determined to smash its attack on their pay, conditions and the services they provide.
There were thousands of picket lines outside schools, hospitals, government offices, Tube stations, BBC studios, universities as members of eight unions took strike action.
75,000 BMA junior doctors, who began a 72-hour strike on Monday and finished it at 7am yesterday, were joined by 150,000 PCS and Prospect civil servants, 250,000 NEU teachers, 20,000 RMT and Aslef Tube workers, 70,000 UCU lecturers, and thousands of BBC NUJ members.
There were rallies in towns and cities around the country, with two mass marches converging on Trafalgar Square in central London.
There were 50,000 on the march from Hyde Park Corner, with the NEU teachers’ union at the front and the junior doctors coming up behind and 3,000 on the PCS-Prospect march from Embankment, which paused outside Downing Street to deliver an angry message as it proceeded up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square.
There were not just teachers, doctors and civil servants on the marches, but thousands of other trade unionists, workers and youth determinedly fighting against the Tories.
The WRP and Young Socialists banner on the march from Embankment said: ‘TUC call a general strike now to Kick the Tories out,’ with a loud and lively delegation behind shouting: ‘TUC get off your knees, call a general strike. Defend the NHS ,No privatisation.’
Thousands of teachers and junior doctors from all over the country began arriving at Hyde Park Corner, from 10.45am onwards. By 11.30am they were filling up half way down Park Lane.
There was a big front banner reading: ‘Pay up. Save our Schools’, followed by forests of waving turquoise NEU flags, while home-made posters including: ‘Rishi’s greatest fear. Educated children don’t vote Tory,’ ‘NEU Teesside Districts. Pay up. Pay up.’
One witty placard quoted recently-published email correspondence between former Health Secretary Hancock and former Education Secretary Williamson: ‘What a bunch of absolute arses the teachers are’ – ‘I know they really do hate work’.
Another read: ‘Not my government. They don’t want to pay us as graduate professionals.’
Marchers spoke to News Line.
On the march from Hyde Park Corner, Courtney Bain, a young teacher from Stockton in Teesside told News Line: ‘We’re striking because of the 5% pay “increase” last year, which was funded by individual schools. As they stretch their budgets further, it ultimately leads to redundancies.
‘We also need a reduced workload. I work in a secondary school, teaching A-level pupils. There is such a lack of recruitment. We need more specialist teachers for maths, science and English.
‘The pupils are being taught by supply teachers who don’t have to do any marking. That impacts the children who don’t get their feed-back.
‘On top of the teaching from 8.30-3pm (35-40 hours a week) I spend every evening and Sunday, planning lessons and marking. This is why 40% of teachers leave in the first five years.
‘Unlike what people think, we don’t get paid for holidays. Our wages for the days we work are spread over the whole year and divided by 12 to give a monthly wage.
‘Some schools are being taken over by academies that treat them like a business. Education should not be a business. Education is a state-owned human right.
‘They’re trying to privatise everything, into money-making, like the NHS. My sister is a nurse. The way forward is to nationalise the service and proper funding. This is the third prime minister who was not elected.
‘Gillian Keegan the health minister has only been in politics since 2021. She has no experience in education. There is no magic money tree for us. It’s only war, and tax havens for the rich. I am 100% for socialism.’
Behind the Wirral banner, teacher Lesley Bullock said: ‘The main thing we are concerned about is school funding. In our school there is not enough money for paper and teachers are buying it.
‘The funding for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) pupils is the worst. I retired from teaching SEND children because of that.
‘It has become steadily worse. It is more and more difficult for children to get an Education and HealthCare Plan – a statement of need from the educational psychologist which used to be endorsed by the local authority.
‘Autistic kids are stuck in main-stream schools. There is no more occupational therapy or assessments by educational psychologists.
‘When they closed down the special schools, they promised more money to main stream schools, but it didn’t happen. The system is broken. It’s called “inclusive education”. Parents of SEND kids are in tears. Their children can’t get the necessary schooling.
‘Then other children in the class miss out, when you get two or three SEND children in a class of 30 it becomes impossible.’
Music teacher Kris Reeder, the only one in the music department in a large secondary school, said equipment is broken and a yearly budget of only £500, said: ‘The kids love music. They are just starved of music. We do need a general strike to kick the Tories out.
‘They’re abusing our school teachers and students.’
There were over 3,000 PCS and Prospect members with banners and members from all over the country on the march from Embankment, with banners from PCS Defra, PCS South East and London Region and DWP London Region, South West Region and it was led by a huge yellow balloon.
They chanted: ‘Rishi Sunak Hear Us Say We want decent pay. What do we want 10%, When do we want it? NOW!’
Mark Cooper, PCS member for the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, said: ‘We need a pay rise now. I commute to London from Liverpool for two days because I can’t afford to live in the south-east. Liverpool is slightly better but it’s still expensive.’
Rahul Bhatchrya BEIS PCS, said: ‘I think we should have a general strike. Individual strikes are not effective.
‘A general strike will force the Tories to take us seriously. In the last 13 years the average UK citizen has lost out because of the high cost of housing, food and energy and we have also lost jobs and basic rights and our NHS has haemorrhaged. The general strike will be the start to winning back what we have lost.’
Soon after the front of the march reached Trafalgar Square the front of the other march arrived and there were huge cheers as they greeted each other.
At the rally in Trafalgar Square and the other march of the PCS strikers came in from the embankment and packed the square.
The first speaker was Mary Bousted, joint secretary of the NEU.
She congratulated the massive crowd and castigated health minister Gillian Keegan for refusing to negotiate with the NEU in England. She said: ‘The Scottish and Welsh governments have made offers, where is yours?’
Emma Runswick, deputy chair of BMA Council, and junior doctor herself in mental health, said: ‘Around 70,000 junior doctors are on strike this week – out for the three days and nights. Why? Because newly qualified doctors only get £14 an hour.
‘This is a 26% pay cut in real terms since 2008. Doctors are leaving and going abroad. We have accepted too long the squeeze on the public sector. Not anymore.
‘BMA membership has gone up to 184,000. Doctors and workers are unified. We know our worth. Stick together, strike together, win together.’
Annie a teacher from the North East said: ‘I teach social sciences which is a popular subject. I stand for a better future for all.
‘Teachers should not have to be buying their own classroom printers, not be having to bring their own toilet paper and soap and not be working all day on a Sunday. We should not have business managers. Schools are not businesses.
‘We need the government to listen. Education is about social justice.
Lively teachers at the rally in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday angry at the state of education and their very low pay.
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‘We are teaching children to stand up for themselves today. This is the best lesson they will ever have.’
Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the TUC, said: ‘Half a million are out on strike today. I don’t have to tell you we have had a decade of real terms pay cuts.
‘Jeremy Hunt said nothing in his budget about funding for public services and schools and public sector pay.
‘This is a government that doesn’t deserve to be in office. Let’s vote them out in the next election.
‘Their policy is divide and rule, pitting those who are born here, from those who travel here, public from private. Let’s stand together, take action together, and win together.’
Sarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South said: ‘I am a relatively young MP and remember my school days. I had teachers who encouraged me so much. Thank you. You are being let down, in crisis and overworked.’
Fran Heathcombe National President of the PCS said: ‘The Tory government gives the message that there is no money. They worsen our terms and conditions and lower pensions.
‘They are lying. Every government over the last 40 years always makes cuts and privatisations. They look after the wealthy and steal from our public services.
‘They are trying to take back every gain we have made over generations.
‘It’s the same with this rotten government. We have to defeat them. We need a joint campaign. Above all we need co-ordinated strike action to put pressure on this government.’
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the PCS said: ‘What a fantastic turnout – the day we all stood up and made a difference. This is the best lesson young people could learn – stand up for self and solidarity.
‘While Hunt knows the cost of everything. You know the value of everything, including yourselves. A word to the Junior Doctors. Last time you were on strike I was in hospital having a heart transplant. We stand with the Junior Doctors.
‘We say thank you to all the trade union members standing up today including those from the RMT and ASLEF.
‘There are 133,000 PCS members on strike today, from over 130 government departments including the Department of Education and Ofsted. 30% of PCS members are on the national minimum wage and have only been offered a 2% pay rise. The government is threatening to end tens of thousands of our jobs.
‘We are going to strike until we win. Whoever you are, including BBC journalists, we welcome any union in talks for more pay. No worker should be left behind and left to accept a pay cut. No one should end up poorer.’
John Leach, RMT Assistant General Secretary said that he brought fraternal greetings from Mick Lynch, national leader.
‘No tube trains are moving. We have continued the fight for one year over jobs, pensions and contracts.
‘Tube workers gave their all during the pandemic. Transport for London says it is bankrupt. They want to raid staff pensions and terms and conditions. We’re not having it. We’re a fighting union in common with you, the NEU, the PCS and the doctors have come together. We fight as one for our class.
‘Tomorrow, there will be no trains moving. We find ourselves up against the employers and the government in a smash and grab raid for our jobs, conditions and pay. Some of our members have had no pay rise for 4 years.
‘Our union is in the most protracted dispute since 1972. They’ve picked a fight with the wrong people. After P&O sacked staff by email, we resolved to allow that never again. We will go forward during the spring and summer.
‘The most vulnerable workers are the cleaners who keep us clean and safe.
‘They are bleeding £500m clear profit out of the railways. Mick Lynch, said we will not beg. We stand shoulder to shoulder to fight till we win and secure justice for everyone.’
