Striking teachers, firefighters, civil servants and council staff gathered for a rally at Chester’s Town Hall Square in front of a banner which read: “austerity is a fraud”.
Officers from Cheshire West and Chester Council , school support staff and civil servants – all angry at their employers’ 1% pay offer – are among around 1m workers taking part in 24-hour action across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Also joining them were striking teachers in a separate dispute over wages, pensions and workload and firefighters who are fighting changes to their own pension scheme.
Sue Lloyd, of the PCS union, representing civil servants, told the 150-strong crowd: “The government are saying the money isn’t there. They tell us austerity is necessary and that we are all in it together. Even Labour repeat that there is less money around. Nonsense! The richest 1,000 Britons increased their wealth by £70bn last year, enough to give every working person a £2,000 pay rise.
“Yet there is always money for war and for a new Trident and plenty of money to cut the taxes for the top 1% and for corporations. The energy companies are taking it in higher bills, the rail companies with higher fares and landlords with higher rents.
“The money is there. The banks and other tax-dodging companies have got it in their tax havens. There is pay inequality, 23% of working age adults are living in poverty, the highest level since the year 2000.”
Dave Williams, of the Fire Brigades Union, told the crowd that pension reform will mean firefighters “pay more, work longer and receive even less”.
He added: “The fire service is being cut to the bone. Mind you, despite the budget shortfall, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have still managed to pay large amounts of bonuses to their principal managers for the last four years, year on year.”
