March 28 - report and photos of London's solid strike action

Today's London regional strike and rally to defend pensions exceeded all expectations! Thousands of schools and colleges were affected by the strike action taken by members of both the NUT and UCU unions...more below

For a video report explaining why I back the call for national action, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA-vzrTJxJ0






On what felt like the the hottest day of the year so far, thousands of teachers and lecturers gathered in Malet Street . It was soon clear that Londoners HAD turned out in force to show that, given the call to action to stop this pensions robbery, trade unionists will respond!


The official totals at the start of the march were between 6 and 7,000 but, as we headed down Whitehall, I heard two police officers at the front of the march discussing whether 'it's more like ten thousand now" !

At the start in Malet Street

Of course, and as a harsh lesson in 'media studies' to striking teachers, the press has largely tried to ignore the strike and hope that they can pretend it never took place. But the thousands of parents whose schools have been closed and the thousands of trade unionists waiting for good news from London will know the truth - that the  strike was solidly supported.

No caption required !

Fair pensions for ALL - Visteon pensioners protest with us

Outside Downing Street, our public-sector demonstration met up with private-sector ex-Visteon workers who were also marching against the robbery of their pensions. As the banner at the front of the NUT/UCU march explained, this was about 'Fair Pensions for All' not just for teachers. This Government wants to rob ALL of us and we should ALL be fighting that robbery together.

What the day has shown is that the anger against the threat to make us work on to 68 or more, as well as the pay cuts that will start next month as the increased contributions begin, runs as deep as ever. Now March 28 must be a springboard to further action.

Lewisham NUT members turned out in good numbers and the motion, passed unanimously at our AGM on Monday, summed up the feelings of many on the march: "This Association deplores the National Executive's decision to only call London regional action on March 28 and urges Conference delegates to support the call for an escalating program of national action in the summer term and beyond, including considering action of more than one 

NUT and UCU members marching past Parliament

day's duration, and to call on other unions to join with us in that action."

 

The debate will continue at NUT Conference over Easter but, for now, London NUT and UCU members have pulled off an important and successful action - now let's go forward from here to build a united national campaign that can still force this Government to retreat.