Strike over job cuts and pensions

CIVIL servants are staging a one-day strike across Oldham today, hitting JobCentre Plus, tax offices, the VOSA enforcement centre and courts.

They joined 250,000 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members nationally in the dispute over cuts to jobs, pension and pay to coincide with budget day.

More than 40,000 civil and public servants in the North-West voted to strike over cuts to their jobs, pensions and pay.

The union wants a minimum pay rise of five per cent or £1,200 for all civil servants this year, no cuts to terms and conditions, no increase in pension contributions, no increase in the pension age and no reduction in pension benefits.