British unions begin mass strike action

The British coalition government faces the most serious challenge ever by the unions as hundreds of thousands of teachers, civil servants and others move to protest their pensions, job cuts and pay freezes.
The 24-hour walkout means schools and colleges will be closed or running with the minimum staff as teachers and lecturers take action while all public sector departments where civil servants work including Job Centres and tax and benefit offices will be affected.
The action features members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and the University and College Union (UCU) who are especially angry over government's pensions reform saying the new arrangements will deliver “20%-50% less than the current pension scheme for a full career in public service”.They are also outraged by the prospects of paying more into their annual pension contributions while getting smaller payments after retirement.This comes as the massive march in London which is planned to be followed by a rally in Westminster has led to the Police to cancel all its personnel leaves to be able to tackle the situation.
The mass action is especially important as the government is pushing with a costly campaign in Libya, yet at home it is trying to persuade people that the cuts to their lives is meant to provide them a better future rather than funding more wars.
That point was echoed by the national convener of the Stop the War Coalition, Lindsey German.
“The same people who tell us that the country 'can't afford' to pay pensions or provide public services have now entered into their third major war in 10 years - with no end in sight,” she said.