Dave Prentis says enough is enough

The government is today being hit by the biggest strike over pay since it came to power when over a million public sector workers walking out in bitter disputes over pay, pensions, jobs and spending cuts.

Home helps, lollipop men and women, refuse collectors, librarians, dinner ladies, parks attendants, council road safety officers, caretakers and cleaners will be joined by teachers, firefighters, civil servants and transport workers.

Picket lines are being mounted outside courts, council offices, Jobcentres, fire stations and Parliament in outpourings of anger over the coalition’s public sector policies.

Members of UNISON staged a demonstration outside Parliament, holding up giant “slices of bread” to symbolise that workers want more than a 1% slice of the pay bill.

General secretary Dave Prentis said: “The government should look hard at the economic benefits of lifting the pay cap and ending the misery of low pay for public service workers and their families.

“The continuing pay freeze is damaging staff morale and service quality across the public sector, and today our members in local government and schools are saying enough is enough.

“By starving local councils of the finance they need to deliver vital public services and pay staff a fair wage, the government is missing an opportunity to not only inject money into the economy but to create much-needed full-time jobs.”