From Neath and Port Talbot, from Durham, the East and West Midlands, Eastern and South East, Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West; from every region of England and Wales, from every section of the union – UNISON members gathered on the Embankment in London to march through the capital with one simple message: “Britain Needs a Pay Rise – because we’re Worth It”.
On just one of three national marches taking place across the UK – the others were in Glasgow and Belfast – they were joined by tens of thousand of colleagues from other unions, campaign groups and the general public.
By 11 o’clock – when the London March was due to start forming – noisy and colourful UNISON members were already filling half of the 100m of dual carriageway allotted to them.
And they had started gathering early.
Even before road closed for the march to assemble, there had been lots of hoots of support from passing lorries, taxis and cars – and interest from coach loads of Dutch day trippers unloading at the Embankment
The honour of being the first members to arrive with their banners went to South West London Community branch and UNISON Filipino nurses, who were already staking out their place by 9.30.
They were swiftly followed by Durham County and Neath Port Talbot branches.
By the time the march set off for Hyde Park at noon, an exuberant sea of purple and green filled the Embankment – joyful but with a serious message: we need fair pay and justice.
Not just to defeat austerity but to fix an economy which has still to recover from the crash of 2008.
And it was another hour and a quarter before the last marchers left the Embankment on their way to Hyde Park …
