The UK was still in darkness this morning when UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis and 30 UNISON staff members departed from the UNISON centre on a routemaster bus for one ot the most critical days in the union’s history.
“This is the largest coordinated industrial action, the biggest demonstration of determination and defiance this country has witnessed for almost a century,” said Mr Prentis.
“Today is special, history is being made today, not by politicians, not by bankers and businesses, but by millions of ordinary men and women who have the courage and resolve to say enough is enough,” he continued.
Around the country UNISON members had already started to make their protest against the controversial changes to their pensions. In Scotland pipers were leading out workers outside hospitals at midnight. In Birmingham UNISON president Eleanor Smith led out nurses and hospital staff and in Bristol a candlelit vigil was held for the NHS.
Mr Prentis said that many of the two million public service workers taking action today were women and young people, many of them striking for the first time in their lives. “I’m really proud of our union, I’m really proud of our members, I’m proud of the jobs they do and I’m proud of the stand that they are taking today, not just for their generation but for future generations,” he said.
“We know the traumas of taking industrial action, but we are the ones who will take a stand for our communities and for our pensions and we hope that today we turn the tide.”