“It has been an absolutely amazing morning,” leading UNISON northern region activist Julie Wynn said after a tour of Durham picket lines taking in the county hall, police headquarters, university hospital and the passport office.
And that experience made her realise “just how important this day of action is in showing the strength of feeling that all of us working in the public sector have to defend our pension entitlement.
“Many of those that I spoke to on the picket lines said that they were really worried about their future and scared that the increase in contributions would have a serious effect on their family income.
“These are all decent, hard-working people who, at the end of their working life, want to have a respectable retirement.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Teesside University joint branch secretary Denise Ward, who commented that “being here on the picket line has reaffirmed why I am doing this and given me a real buzz. It has been great.”
Turning to the day’s political message, she added: “We are saying that enough is enough. We don’t like being treated like we are a burden on taxpayers.
“It has been great to see the level of support we have received from the public and students and that they understand that public sector workers are being made to pay the price for a crisis caused by bankers.
“Local polls show that the public support our taking strike action, which none of us have done lightly, but I hope this shows ministers that they have to get round the table and have meaningful negotiations with us.”