Public sector workers prepare to strike over pay

Hackney NUT members on strike at BSix College in March. Photograph: Lucy Capes

Hackney schools are set to be disrupted tomorrow as teachers join firefighters, local government workers and civil servants staging a walkout as part of a public sector strike over pay.

Members from NUT, Unison, Unite, PCS, GMB and FBU are among those who are planning to take industrial action.

Since a pay freeze in 2010, pay increases for those in the public sector have been capped at an annual 1% rise until the end of next financial year.

A rally will be held outside Hackney Town Hall at 10am followed by a march from broadcasting house in central London to Trafalgar Square.

Unions are joining the strike with their own disputes. Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) are staging their fifteenth strike in recent years from 10am to 7pm over an ongoing dispute over pensions.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are walking out over an ongoing disputes on pay, pensions and workload.

PCS Public and Commercial Services Union are calling for a 5% pay increase for civil servants.

Trade union Unison is demanding pay increases of £1 per hour for street cleaners, rubbish collectors, carers, social workers and teaching assistants.

Unite union who represent electricians employed by Hackney Homes have also called a strike for two 24-hour periods on Friday 11th July and Saturday 12 July.

Jamie Duff of Hackney NUT said: “Hackney NUT members are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other unions to send a clear message to this government that public sector workers deserve a decent pay rise.

“This government claims there is an economic recovery – the question has to be asked who is benefiting from this so-called ‘recovery’? Why are so many hard working people still on poverty pay?”

Linda Perks, Regional Secretary for Unison Greater London Region said: “Council workers have kept on going in the face of four years of draconian Government cuts to keep local services in London running.

“They care for our elderly and our vulnerable, keep our streets clean and educate and look after our children. They deserve better treatment than they have had at the hands of this Government.”

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “The FBU has wanted to settle our dispute for a long time, but the government at Westminster is simply not listening. We are therefore proud to take strike action alongside our colleagues in other unions on 10 July.

See full list of school closures below.

Secondary schools closed:

The Urswick School
Haggerston School for Boys and Girls
Our Lady’s Convent High School (partially open)

Primary Schools closed:

Brook Community Primary School
Grazebrook Primary School
Lauriston Primary School
London Fields Primary School
Mandeville Primary School
Millfields Community School
Queensbridge Primary School
Sir Thomas Abney Primary School
Shacklewell Primary School
Simon Marks Jewish Primary School
St Dominic’s Roman Catholic Primary School
St. John the Baptist CE Primary School (partially open)
St. Paul’s with St Michael’s CE Primary School

SEN Schools:

New Regent’s College
Stormont house (partially open)

The Olive School and Hackney New School are open