Twenty thousand public service workers marched to parliament this afternoon, bringing the day of action in London to a passionate crescendo.
Speaking from the stage, UNISON’s London regional convenor Gloria Hanson told the crowd that they were taking part in a “historic day”.
Ms Hanson, who works for Newham council, said that the authority had supported her and her colleagues 100% in the dispute – echoing a common message of the day.
Then she added a message for education secretary Michael Gove: “You have got a bloody cheek. We have not taken the action to strike today lightly. We do not have gold-plated pensions. We are not stopping the financial recovery.
“You are out of order. The government is not listening. It’s not fair. And it’s not right.”
Resting in the crowd after a long day of campaigning was retired member Desrene Martin.
Ms Martin already has her pension, but felt “very, very passionately” that she should support her younger members today. “I want them to get a better pension than I have, not a worse one,” said the 65-year-old, who used to work for Lewisham council.
“I struggle with my pension every week,” she added. “Sometimes you have to cut back on food, just so that you can pay for your utilities. So I’m very worried about workers today. They are going to be left so vulnerable.”