Over 2,000 trade unionists are marching through the centre of Cambridge this lunchtime, including UNISON members Elaina Petrovich and Sammie Byrne – both teaching assistants at Granta College, Linton, near Cambridge.
“I’m here to protect our pensions, which will be worth a pittance by the time we are allowed to retire, and to protect the pensions of future generations,” Ms Petrovich said. “I’ll be nearly 70 before I can retire.”
Her colleague Sammie, aged 19, said: “I’ve never been on strike before and it was a hard decision, but the best decision to make. We need to make a stand.”