Among the UNISON members at the Leeds rally were three friends – Vicky Dean, Pamela Carr-Dixon, and Shabana Azam.
Vicky said: “I am an ex council worker. I am a housing support worker. My job was transferred to the voluntary sector. I’m a UNISON rep and I’m on strike today.
“I can’t afford a pension, but I’m out in support of my colleagues. That is why I am out today. We all need to stick together and support each other.
“It won’t be easy, but I couldn’t go to work today. I am here to support everyone else.”
Pamela added: “I’m a project manager for housing support. I had worked for Leeds City Council for 16 years, but I was transferred with Vicky to an organisation out in the voluntary sector three years ago.
“I have been a loyal member of the council workforce. I didn’t transfer to the voluntary sector through choice.
“I have got a pension. I paid into it for 19 years.
“We have all seen massive cuts occurring. Our salaries in real terms have decreased. Our hours have increased.
“Whatever is going on with our pensions is a smokescreen. Most of our people are low paid.
“It is not local authority pensions that has left a big hole in government coffers. It’s the way they spend money, like the Private Finance Initiative.”
Under PFI private firms construct public buildings for public services, such as hospitals and schools.
The taxpayer pays for the construction, with interest, spread over 20 years or more. But when the time is up, ownership of the buildings remains with the private firm.
“The returns to the private sector for PFI are massive,” said Pamela.
“So now what they are doing is creating a life of poverty for people. We are reliant on our pensions for our old age.”
The last of the three friends, Shabana, said: “We are being targeted. Why are we getting punished? At the end of the day we don’t get much. There’s nothing there to make people think we are getting more than the private sector. In fact we are being scapegoated.
“People need to wake up and take a step back, and look at what is going on here.”