Star date: July 10th 2014

SALFORD STRIKES AGAINST CONDEM GOVERNMENT

"I literally have to take a calculator when I go to the supermarket so that I don't go over budget. We need a pay rise because it is getting stark now…"

Public sector workers from all over Salford took part in a one day strike today against the ConDem Government's pay, pensions and austerity policies. Teachers, firefighters, refuse workers, admin staff and more all walked out as everywhere from schools to fire stations to libraries closed.

"This was a fantastic turnout from our members" said Salford City UNISON's Ameen Hadi "There's very little that operated properly today across the city."

Full details and more photos here…

Todays' one day strike began early in Salford this morning, with the first picket line being erected at Turnpike House at 4am. From then on, slowly across the city the strike grew and grew and grew with everyone from teachers to teaching assistants, firefighters to Salford Council staff joining in the dispute against the ConDem Government's pay, pensions and austerity policies.

With public sector pay effectively being cut by 20% in the last four years, pensions being slashed and workloads increasing every day with jobs being axed, Salford trade unionists manning picket lines were angry.

At the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Paul  Warburton, UNISON Branch Secretary Greater Manchester Fire Service, summed up the feeling…

"Our members have had no pay rises for over four years and inflation has seen rises of 2.5% and above" he explained "The statement made by the skills minister on Sunday was an insult, saying there will be no public sector pay rises over 1% or anything near inflation. Well inflation is rising as we speak and we just need a decent pay rise."

His sentiments were echoed by Jenny Seex: "Local government workers have had sustained, in effect, pay cuts over the last four years. Politicians keep talking about hard working families. Well, we are hard working families. People who work in local government, who work in schools are hard working families who deserve a fair pay rise."

And Anne Farrow, UNISON Branch Chair, told of her personal hardships… "I'm a single homeowner and inflation has gone up 20% and I literally have to take a calculator when I go to the supermarket so that I don't go over budget" she said "We need a pay rise because it is getting stark now…"

While public sector workers are being offered a 1% rise, Members of Parliament are currently being offered an 11% pay rise, which pours scorn on those politicians from all parties who lined up to condemn the strike today.

Outside the Civic Centre the point wasn't lost on Yvonne Donlon…

"I have lost £1300 in wages, I have not had a pay rise for several years" she said "I retire in two years and I am absolutely fed up of this country and this Government."

Paula Lawless, Salford City UNISON Branch Welfare Officer, added: "I'm on strike today in support of our pay rise. We had a 1% pay rise last year and I also took a massive pay cut of £2,500. This year I have been down-banded after waiting ten years to be upgraded through job evaluation. So I'm here to support all my friends and colleagues and UNISON members."

For Magda Sachs, it was also about austerity and its affect on women…

"I really believe in fair pay but particularly for me it's about how this austerity government is really unfair to women" she explained "It's really disproportionally hitting women, and women rely on public services to have the infrastructure support to do a job.

"It's not that long ago that women couldn't leave the home because they had all the caring responsibilities and if we take away all the services like public transport and children's centres, women can't go out to work. Also, a lot of the things that are being cut are things like refuges for domestic violence and rape support units. So it's really hitting women. There's also a big gender wage gap so it just feels like this is really regressive. I've got a daughter and I don't want this for her or any granddaughters I may have."

Terms and conditions as well as pay and pensions were a big theme of the day, as Lee Fox, on picket duty outside Turnpike House explained…"I'm not here just to show solidarity, I was here for seven years as an agency worker. For me I have come here to say how badly they have been treated and still are. It's not just about the money it's to make people aware of what goes on."

By late morning, with loads of workplaces closed across the city, trade unionists from Salford crossed the border for a joint rally with PCS workers outside the Civil Justice Centre, where Judith Elderkin from the National Union of Teachers told why supporting teachers on strike today was helping with the education of young people…

"Apart from the pay and pensions issue we are standing up for education because we feel that the conditions for our members and for children in schools are being severely eroded by financial cutbacks" she explained "There is no doubt whatsoever that teachers are fed up to the back teeth – two out of five teachers who start in the profession are gone after five years. Think of the waste of public money training those people but that says a lot about the profession. Teachers can't wait to get out because of what this Government has done to teaching."

After the Civil Justice Centre rally, members of the unions that supported today's strike, including the NUT, UNISON, Unite, GMB and the FBU, converged on Piccadilly Gardens for an even bigger rally. In Bolton Town centre there was also another huge rally.

"It's been a really fantastic turnout from our members" said Salford City UNISON's Ameen Hadi "The picket lines were full of people, obviously there are people who aren't in the union who went to work but the majority of people in Salford were definitely out striking today. Schools were shut, most services have been shut down for the day, there's very little that operated properly today across the city.

"It isn't just about people taking the strike action for us, it's about people participating" he added "A union isn't a union unless members get involved and what's been fantastic is the amount of union members who turned out on the picket lines, brought their kids, came to the rallies, spoke out and were part of a huge strike today that hopefully will continue to build.

"We've had Labour councillors visit our picket lines and all power to them, it was great and we welcome their support" he added "They should be uniting with us in the fight against cuts and against the Government, and not sitting on the fence like Ed Miliband is."

The next action against the ConDem Government is set for September, and Ameen reckons it will be even larger…

"We're hoping our colleagues in the BBC and the health service will join us, they're being balloted over the summer" he said "We want the next strike day to be even bigger because we're not stopping until this Government backs down and stops austerity…"

* For more photos see also Salford Star Picture Stories - click here

Photos by Steven Speed