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Everyone out!
Reporter: LEWIS JONES, HELEN KORN and BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 30 November 2011
Thousands of Oldham workers join strike
THOUSANDS of public-sector workers staged a mass walkout today to vent their anger at proposed pension changes.
Protesters flooded to the streets in solidarity across the borough as part of a national day of strike action that saw the country grind to a halt.
Children were forced to stay home as teachers and school staff rebelled. The doors remained firmly shut this morning at 89 schools across the borough, with closed secondary schools including North Chadderton, Crompton House and Waterhead Academy.
Lectures were scrapped at Oldham Sixth Form College as 2200 students were told not to attend.
It added to a day of mass disruption as public sector workers put on the biggest show of defiance in a generation.
Only six schools were set to open fully as the row over proposed pension changes reached a climax.
Diggle Primary, St James’, Holy Rosary, Mayfield and St John’s Infant and Juniors were the only schools opening fully while eight others were ‘part’ operational.
Early morning protesters united at picket lines outside Radclyffe School and Oasis Academy to vent their frustrations.
Tony Harrison, secretary for Oldham branch of the National Union of Teachers, was at Radclyffe.
He said: “People are passing by, tooting their horns and shouting their support.
“This is the only option, the government say talks are ongoing yet they also argue there is no further money to be put on the table. It’s sheer frustration, we don’t want to hit the pupils.
“Staff are so impassioned because we agreed just four years ago to changes to make it even more affordable, therefore we can’t put up with any more cuts.”
Staff from scores of services in Oldham were among those walking out, with council workers, health workers and police staff joining forces for mass effect.
Bins were left unemptied as refuse collectors gathered this morning at the entrance to the Moor Hey Street refuse depot.
Placards were waved from 6am today as workers from the Council’s Streetscene, parks, refuse collectors and highways departments took to the picket line. Around 18 people gathered as part of the Unite protest bearing placards and flags that stated ‘Cuts kill communities’.
Stephen Hewitt, health and safety representative and union Learn co-ordinator, said: “We are hoping to send out the message to the government that it is not fair to take our pensions.
“I’ve found out that I have to work for another two years and I’m not going to get a pay rise during it.
“There’s no increase in wages for the foreseeable future of more than one per cent.”
He added that they were happy to strike to again if they did not see a result following today’s industrial action.
The town centre was also a draw for dawn demonstrations, with picketers gathering outside Oldham Library and Gallery.
Protester David Halliwell, a gardener with the Parks Department, joined them and said: “This is not just for us, it’s for future generations. There are a lot of apprentices in the town. We haven’t got a golden pension, it’s not like we earn a massive wage because we are not in management.”
Protests were also planned for outside the Civic Centre and Chadderton Town Hall.
But austerity measures are set to come in the form of spending cuts for the next six years as public finances deteriorate according to Chancellor George Osborne.
Meanwhile the Royal Oldham Hospital was a hotbed of action with staff taking to the picket lines as early as 6.30am.
Workers with Unite and Unison targeted all six entrances to the hospital chanting the slogan ‘Do you want to pay more and get less?’
Liz McInnes, Staff Side Chairman for Pennine Acute Trust, was among protesters and hit out at the government, who she says have launched a deliberate attack on public sector workers.
Roughly 650 hospital workers were expected to strike, inlcuding radiographers, porters, caterers, maintenance staff and support workers.
Liz was keen to stress that emergency cover had been put in place to ensure patients did not suffer - on a par with arrangements for a public holiday.
She added: “This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly. I’ve worked for the NHS for 30 years and this is the first time I’ve ever been on strike - I think that reflects how severe people’s worries are. This is the only way we can get our message across that we will not be blamed for this government’s deficit.
“They have tried to set up this false war between the private and public sector and that is just not the case. We’re not just spoiling for a fight, we know that the extra money we’re paying in will not be coming to us, it’ll be swallowed up.”
Comments
Many are tooting their horns at you in disdain you blinkered, selfish bunch of idiots, welcome to the real world, its about time the public and private sector were more aligned
I have some amount of symapathy and understanding for a lot of the Public-Sector workers and their grievance but TEACHERS!!..HOW MANY WEEKS HOLIDAYS DO THEY GET PER YEAR???
and HOW MANY HOURS PER DAY DO THEY ACTUALLY 'WORK' 5or6???
and HOW MANY 'CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS' DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE THEIR JOB 'EASIER'???
Not heard them complaining about this...!! and compare their SALARIES to that of the Nursing fraternity for instance!
Liz is so right about the foolishness of creating a gulf between the private and public sectors. One huge mistake the Government has made is ignoring the fact that the private sector is hard hit by cuts in the public sector. Schools and other public buildings are erected by private contractors and workers in the public sector shop in the shops, eat in restaurants, go on holidays etc. Cuts in their incomes affect the private sector. So obvious!
and how many of u got your xmas shopping done today
I am absolutely outraged at the comment about TEACHERS, I am 22 years old and in my second teaching year. I go into school at 7.30 and do not leave until 6.30pm due to the sheer amount of marking, planning and other work I need to do along with xtracurricular clubs both afterschool and during my lunch as well as parents eve which I don't get paid for, I get no TA's in my classes. I have been told I need to work 11 hours a day until I am 68, paying money into my pension that I will never ever see
Some Public pensions are in dire need of reform........."Francis Maude's publicly funded pension is £43,825 a year with a pot of £731,883 David Cameron's publicly funded pension is £32,978 a year with a pot of £550,725 George Osborne's publicly funded pension is £32,978 a year with a pot of £550,725 Nick Cleggs's publicly funded pension is £28,404 a year with a pot of £440,000 Eric Pickles' publicly funded pension is £43,825 a year with a pot of £731,883"
Typical MP's, do as I say not as I do.
bluefor30years? We live AND WORK in the real world. The one that expects almost double the pensionable contributions, greatly extended working life and vastly reduced pension output as a reward. Why should we work longer and pay more for less?? In our position would you take it lying down?!
@bing... The old teachers' holidays chestnut. Teachers are paid an annual salary in 12 equal amounts. Those who were on strike today will lose 1/200th (appx) of their salary and not 1/365th reflecting the number of days they are at the chalkface even though they spend many more days than children are in school preparing and assessing to fulfil the responsibilities for which we have employed them. Go and do the job before you vent your jealousy.
To binangonandunit, as a headteacher striking today, all I can say is you are completely unaware of the workload a teacher has - most teachers work a 50-60 hour week, most of my staff are in by 8.00am and leave between 5.30 - 6.00pm, take work home to mark / plan tomorrow's lessons, and work on Sundays. Most of my staff are in school for three- four weeks of their holidays a year, getting classrooms ready etc.
To continue - we were told 2 years ago the bankers wanted our jobs... but they didn't. Now we are told ex soldiers want our jobs....but they don't. The number of people applying for teacher training courses continues to fall, because it is a demanding and underpaid job. I love my job, I love children and I value education, but just remember, if you can read this, thank a teacher, and support our fight for decent working conditions.
@binangonandunit. I don't know what you know about teaching (probably nothing only 'what you hear of a friend of a friend') but a teacher is not that well paid and when you look at the HOURS they put in. Sure, schools start at 9 and finish at 3.30pm in some places - others have much longer days (ie Independent Schools). Teachers do not just work those hours - they have regular LONG meetings, attend courses to update skills, look at new introductions to a syllabus, prepare work, mark work...
Con'd. The teachers stay up late at night ensuring students' work is thoroughly checked and constructive comments made. Teachers take part in many after-school activities, getting home in the early hours after school (educational trips. Most of any holidays are taken up in preparing work for the next term or half-term. Parent- Teacher meetings, report writing and more - need I go on? I suggest that you actually shadow a teacher and see what he/she actually does. You'd be shattered. Get real!
I have sympathy for the workers, but I and many others are not in a position to keep paying more and more to fund their retirment, I myself cannot afford a pension, due to the fact I have got myself a job, and live 125 miles away , I get no help from the taxman or the local council, I want to return to the town ofmy birth, but the cost of moving is hindering us, I am in the process of applying for charitable help, We would love a council house, but
probably the wrong type , workers!
So, as a person who as received only one pay rise in 4 years, of which was of 1.2%, and have seen my pension contributions almost treble in the last 6 years and has been told that his pension will be £18k less than it would have been a few years ago, at what point do these selfish and greedy public sector workers expect my sympathies? I didn't see them voice there disgust when the private sector bore the brunt of the last governments feckless behaviour. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.
It is the lower paid Public Sector worker's who have reason to strike.The rest get a dam good package.Why should the Private Sector pay more tax just so they can have a better pension than everyone else and why should they retire earlier?At a time when the economy is fragile they don't no how lucky they are to have a job.
What a beautiful picture it made all families together on the picket line ... it is just a shame nobody realised that it is illegal for minors to be on a picket line. So will we now have parents screaming about their rights as the child protection agency carts them off to court for child endangerment.
@soulman.Funny how you forgot to mention any Labour figures.Brown & Blair who made this mess are laughing all the way to the bank.Union bosses are wrapped in clover, so are the opposition benches.Did you see Ed Miliband on a picket line anywhere or coming out in favour of strikers?Conspicuous by his absence & silence given who his paymasters are?
Litespan....what strange comments you made about the private sector. You make the assumption that all private sector workers are paying more tax to get to this mythical early retirement date. I would suggest that for every low paid worker in the public sector on a final salary pension scheme, there are 10 in the private sector that do not pay into a pension scheme because they can't afford it. It is the public sector workers who should realise how lucky they are to have a job.
I see Soulman shows his neutrality by only showing Conservative and Liberal MP's pensions. He must assume that labour MP's will not be getting one or he thinks that the readers of this paper are brainless.
This has made my Blood boil. by going on strike its a nod towards the socialist movement. being socialist means equality. everyone treated the same regardless of status. whats fair in myself and others in the Private sector contributing via my TAX and N.I towards the public sector pensions when i will not receive a penny back!!! Why cant i be able to pay 6.4% of my wage towards this pension and receive back the equivalent of 40% back? some people are equal but some are more equal than others!!!
Ive also had teachers complaining the most which i find strange out of all the Public sector jobs .
I had one Nurse try to threaten me by saying who will look after you when your in your Later life...Well to say i have paid my N.I all my life i'd say the national health service that i payed towards.
the Public sector need to realise they are paid to work by the contributions in tax i pay. without these contributions you would be jobless.
It appears to me that somewhere in the political realm, the plan has worked...pitting people against one another. If this continues, this country will have scars on its knees for years to come! and lest we forget...public sector workers PAY TAX TOO!!!
Oldhamgent wrote "I see Soulman shows his neutrality by only showing Conservative and Liberal MP's pensions. He must assume that labour MP's will not be getting one or he thinks that the readers of this paper are brainless"
Mystic Meg are you ? I don't vote Labour because they're as Tory as the Tories are. It's blindingly obvious they're on the same pension deal as Tory/Lib Dem but as they're not in power I gave the figures for the hypocrites who are.
Have Your Say
Why is everyone so surprised by the chaos? As before the layout was changed, all the traffic from Huddersfield Rd and from Lees Road just won't fit onto the fewer lanes of the new junction.It is obvious to everyone except the Metro "planners" .But we drivers should be appeased cos "it will be worth it in the end"(even tho we won't be using the trams !)
By morgana60 @ 30/11/2011 15:43:18