Public sector strike: ‘300,000 Scots’ join pensions protest

Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers in Scotland have walked out today over proposed changes to their pensions.

The vast majority of schools are closed and transport, hospitals, courts and other public services are all affected.

Today sees the largest-scale strike in decades as around two million people across the UK join together to protest against the UK Government’s plans to increase the amount of money public sector workers pay into their pension, raise the retirement age and introduce career-average pensions.

David Watson, Unison organiser for Scotland, said “just about everyone” will be affected by today’s action in the same way as on a public holiday.

• Online poll: Do you support the strike action?

• In pictures: Scotland’s public sector workers on strike

It is estimated that around 300,000 Scots have walked out.

About 30 of Scotland’s 2,700 schools are open, forcing many parents to take a day off work or arrange alternative childcare.

Thousands of patients have had hospital appointments and operations cancelled or postponed as around 50,000 healthcare staff participate in the strike. Urgent operations are going ahead and emergency services will continue to work as normal.

Picket lines have started to gather outside hospitals and the Scottish Parliament.

Thirty people are outside the Victoria Infirmary Hospital in the south side of Glasgow, holding signs and banners which say: “Everyone deserves a decent pension” and “Hands off our pensions”.

Passing motorists beeped their car horns in support.

Paul Wilcox, Unison steward at the Victoria Infirmary, said: “We’re just getting hammered on the pensions. Basically we’re low- paid workers - auxiliaries, nurses, porters, domestics - and enough is enough.

“I think we’ve been pushed to the limit at the moment.

“Many nurses in there don’t want to go on strike, it’s the last thing they ever wanted to do, but many of them have come out on strike.

“We don’t go on strike for a whim, we’re not here looking for a fight. I think the fight has been brought to us by the Tory Government.”

About 20 strikers stood outside the city’s Western Infirmary and at the Southern General there were 30.

At Glasgow University another 20 people were out demonstrating.