Solidarity with striking public sector workers

CWU sends a solid message of solidarity to all public sector workers on strike today (Thursday). Across the UK, CWU activists have been turning up at picket lines to demonstrate support.

Commenting on the nationwide strike action today, CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: “When the tide rises, all boats lift. Let’s make waves.”

0CWU’s senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns, President Davie Bowman, policy advisors Steve Fishwick and Fevzi Hussein, and executive member Steve Catterall visited a picket line at Rutlish School in Wimbledon to stand with striking NUT members (pictured). While there, a Royal Mail driver pulled up and decided against crossing the school picket line, receiving a huge round of applause.

Tony explained: “We went to show solidarity this morning with striking public sector workers. The government is picking on workers to pay for the bailout, mistakes and greed of bankers, but driving up pension contributions for a worse pension will lead to people opting out of schemes. It’s false economics which will cost us all more in the long-run and a blatant attack on working people.”

Davie went on to say: “It’s important that we show solidarity against the unjustified cuts to public sector pensions. People on strike today are being victimised by the Con-Dem government and we stand fully behind their cause for fair and affordable pensions.”

0The BBC is coming live from Bristol today where TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is visiting picket lines. CWU Bristol branch have been on the NUT picket line at Filton Abbeywood School and the UCU picket at University of Western England with branch youth officer Kye Dudd (pictured) saying “we admire what these unions are doing to protect their members’ pensions and they have our full support.”

Commenting on the support CWU is giving striking public sector workers across the South West, regional secretary Kevin Beazer explained: “All branches in the South West are supporting events and pickets in towns and cities across the region. We’re giving as much support as we can because these people have supported us strongly in the past.”

Paul Moffat, CWU eastern regional secretary, is speaking at number of events across the region and activists are attending events in Bedford, Peterborough, Norwich, Cambridge and rallies in Ipswich and Luton and visitng pickets lines in Milton Keynes.

In the North West, CWU is supporting demonstrations in Preston, Manchester, Blackburn, Blackpool and Liverpool with regional secretary Carl Webb sending messages of support to public sector workers on strike across the region. Read more on the North West Region website.

North East regional secretary Paul Clays and CWU activists in the area are supporting activities across Yorkshire and Northumberland giving full support to strikers.

In Northern Ireland, CWU members are supporting striking workers and regional secretary Lawrence Huston is joining PCS strikers at Belfast’s main civil service building Millennium House at lunchtime.

In Scotland, where strike action is principally being taken by PCS and UCU, CWU regional secretary John Brown and activists are supporting the rally in George Square in Glasgow and have sent messages of support to strikers across Scotland.

In Wales, regional secretary Gary Watkins has sent messages of support to the regional secretaries of the four unions taking strike action and CWU is supporting events taking place in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Llandridrod Wells, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.

South East regional secretary Paul Carpenter has sent message of solidarity to the unions on strike and CWU members are visiting pickets at the Border Agency in Chatham and Christchurch University in Medway. Paul and other CWU activists are supporting rallies in Chatham, Portsmouth, Reading, Camberley, Worthing, Brighton and Hastings.

Midlands regional secretary Lee Barron is speaking at a massive rally in Birmingham where local government Unison members are on strike in addition to the national strikes of NUT, PCS, ATL and UCU. CWU activists are attending and speaking at rallies across the region including Stoke, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Northampton and Birmingham.

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