Government 'defiant' in face of national day of strike action » Communities » 24dash.com

A defiant Government is today facing the most wide ranging series of strikes since Labour came to power a decade ago as up to 400,000 teachers, college lecturers, jobcentre workers, coastguards, driving examiners and other civil servants walkout in separate disputes over pay.

Members of the National Union of Teachers in England and Wales will stage their first national strike in 21 years, forcing the closure or partial closure of thousands of schools, while lecturers from hundreds of colleges and civil servants from 10 Government departments and agencies will also take strike action across the UK.

More than 50 rallies will be held by the striking workers amid warnings that unrest in the civil service could escalate this summer because of anger over below-inflation pay offers.

Gordon Brown said the teachers' strike was "very regrettable", telling MPs during Prime Minister's Question Time yesterday that he hoped teachers would "reconsider" any further industrial action.

"I think it is very regrettable that the teachers are going on strike tomorrow and the reason is that even the chairman of the pay review body has said this is an independent award, independently adjudicated, one that the teachers should be prepared to accept.

"I hope that after reflection the teachers will reconsider the action that they are going to take in the future on this matter."

The British Chambers of Commerce warned the strike could cost businesses up to £68 million in lost working hours because parents will have to take time off work or pay for extra childcare.

Around a third of schools will be hit by the strike, with up to 2,000 closing and a similar number partially closing.

Schools minister Jim Knight told the Press Association that the three-year pay deal of 2.45% from September and rises of 2.3% in subsequent years was "fair and reasonable" and would not be improved.

"Parents feel increasingly frustrated and inconvenienced at the loss of education to their children and I share their feelings.

"Given that the average teacher's salary is £34,000 and pay has increased by 19% since 1997 I would urge teachers to teach."

Mr Knight said the strike was being held at a "very difficult time" for many children facing exams in a few weeks time, adding that head teachers were working hard to minimise disruption.

NUT acting general secretary Christine Blower said the strike was a "last resort", adding that teachers had received three years of below inflation pay increases.

"Despite the committed and professional work of teachers, teacher shortages, excessive workload and falling teacher morale are damaging our education system," said the union.

Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws called for a no-strike agreement between teachers and employers.

"Given the importance of education, we should be trying to move to a presumption that teaching unions will not take strike action," he said.

Shadow Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "It is deeply regrettable that so many children will have their education disrupted by this strike, especially as the pay deal was recommended by an independent panel and accepted by the other teaching unions. Many children have important exams coming up soon and can't afford to miss crucial lessons, and many parents will have to miss work to look after them."

Hundreds of coastguards went out on strike last night, signalling the start of a series of walkouts by 100,000 civil servants across the UK.

The Public and Commercial Services union revealed it will decide at its annual conference next month whether to hold a civil service-wide ballot for strikes over pay which could lead to national walkouts over the summer.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said the scale of industrial action today by civil servants, added to the action by teachers and lecturers in separate rows over pay, was huge.

Mr Serwotka said staff were "furious" over a series of below-inflation pay offers which had led to some workers, including more than a third of employees in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), receiving no wage increase this year.

Some civil servants were being hit by a "double whammy" of no pay rise and extra taxes because of the abolition of the 10p rate, he said.

"The Government's policy to peg public sector pay to below inflation is embedding a culture of low pay across civil and public services.

"It is scandalous that coastguard watch assistants, who save lives, along with other colleagues in the Civil Service who deliver essential services, would be paid just above the minimum wage.

"The Government's argument that paying public and civil servants a decent wage fuels inflation is disingenuous and discredited."

Ten Government departments and agencies will be hit by today's Civil Service strike, including the DWP, Home Office, Transport Department, Driving Standards Agency and Land Registry.

Passport workers at airports, including Heathrow's Terminal 5, which has been hit by delays since it opened last month, will also go on strike.

The union said this could lead to delays at passport and immigration control.

The strikes, which started with coastguard workers at 7pm last night, will continue throughout today, with civil servants joining teachers and college lecturers at rallies across the country.

Mr Serwotka said a number of Labour MPs were supporting the strike and he predicted that pressure would grow on the Government to change its pay policy.

Disputes are also brewing in other Government departments and agencies, including the conciliation service Acas and Revenue and Customs.