Workers' Liberty

London:

A large and lively demonstration dominated by Unison branch banners and Unite flags. Several London NUT branches joined the demonstration. Reports of solid picket lines in Lambeth, Camden, Islington and East London.

A lot of my colleagues came to pickets, rally and demo. I got the impression that the propotion of people on strike who did something e.g. picketing or marching higher than previously. Our main offices in Islington were open; but it appears housing, libraries, social services were solid and there was a lot of disruption and some closures in schools.
I heard a lot of people Unison or non-members crossed picket lines. I thought the rally wasn't as big as I'd expected (but I thought the march was quite good) it wasn't crowded out, not great speakers, Dromey, Sonnet, Serwotka was the best imho. Tried to speak to people from other London boroughs & heard a lot of 50/50 talk - which worried me.
Also not surprisingly there was no talk of what next or any strategy really. Serwotka being the only person to suggest it would take anything other than today or tommorrow.
Not to be to depressing I thought the mood was quite upbeat and people were really looking to what next.

Haringey seemed to go better than expected. 20 schools shut and all the schools were running a skelton service except 2 special needs places. Unite (rather than GMB) organise the bins so the Asley Road depot was shut - to the excitement of Sky News. There was a bit of anger at the fact that some of the reps scabbed and also members who have been helped out recently. Management were very aggressive - they sent out their most aggressive letter to date and in some instances were coming outside to accompany scabs pass the pickets. The posties refused to cross our picket line so benefits and social services didn't get any post. We had about 70-80 pickets in total.

Brighton

Apparently, unison members went down to picket out the refuse workers who were all in the GMB. Some refused to cross the picket line while others went in. They were then picekted in and were forced to hold a workplace meeting about what to do. Eventually one van came out and a picket stood in the way so the driver couldn't get passed. The driver then got out and punched the picket in the face. A manager then came out and threatened to discipline the driver. the picket intervened and said he didn't know what the manager was talking about and the driver was so impressed by his class solidarity that he went back into the depot and got the remaining GMB members to join the picket line.

Nottingham:

Over 500 marched through Nottingham on July 16th in support of fair pay for local government workers. The action forced the closure of numerous schools and other council workplaces. There were picket lines in Sutton in Ashfield from the early hours of the morning and workers from other unions were persuaded not to enter the workplace. These are encouraging signs that workers can seriously challenge the Government’s pay freeze. The marched followed the route from the Forest Recreation Ground, down the Mansfield Road and into the Market Square. Along the way the strikers were greeted with strong support from passers by and tooting cars. In the square a series of speakers from Unison, Unite, PCS and the NUT hammered home the message that public sector workers will not accept pay cuts. Several speakers drew attention to the huge surpluses residing in local government coffers whilst council workers were being asked to accept below inflation pay rises.
One angry speaker challenged some of those on fat salaries to live on a wage below £15,000 a year, a reality for many thousands of low paid council workers. Other speakers talked of the hypocrisy of a government bailing our the banks and giving tax concessions to the super rich whilst making the poor pay for the current credit crisis spreading across the world.
The march and rally were characterised by a mood of optimism and determination to see the fight for fair pay through to a successful conclusion. Below you can see pictures illustrating exactly how important united action across the public sector is to these local government workers . And come September the NUT will be balloting for further action across the pay freeze. Hopefully, we will soon see thousands of workers from across the whole public sector marching on the streets of our towns and cities with a clear and unequivocal message to government - FAIR PAY FOR PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS.

see www.nottsnut.co.uk for pictures and video of the rally.

Newcastle:

Picket lines were strong in Newcastle. At the main depots, Unison and Unite were supported by GMB and UCATT to keep the depots closed. Despite mixed messages from GMB branch leadership many GMB members didn't cross picket lines. Other major workplaces including civic centre were strong with Newcastle branch sec saying the civic strike was stronger than the strike over pensions.

Where I picketed at an education centre, a number of teachers / educ psychologists in other unions crossed, but some GMB security and cleaning staff didn't cross lines, and some teaching staff didn't either, and delivery staff
were turned away, as well as closing the centre to the public.

Two thirds of schools were closed!

Across Newcastle stewards feel that the few who did break the strike they were overwhelmingly high paid staff.

The regional rally in newcastle was 500 plus, with people from picket lines across the region. Other branches from Durham to Darlington reported very strong picket lines.

Lastly a follow up to the reports of councils supporting staff by not taking pay rise out until the pay dispute is settled, this has now grown to include Northumberland County, Blyth, Castle Morpeth, Wansbeck and Tyndale.

So a mix of Labour and Libdem councils in northeast have supported members.

Also just read in the local paper than lab and libdem councilllors in Newcastle are not crossing picket lines.

Ed Whitby

Update 17/06/08
Strike solid again in newcastle today. No difference on yesterday at civic centre, where the vast majority didn't go in and picket lines were very busy at the centre where I work, two GMB members (not on strike) agreed not to cross today and another teacher turned around and went home.

But other NUT members (Ed. pyschs; education adviser etc.) told me that NUT and managers told them they had to cross picket lines and I have a copy of letter from Christine Blower saying they should go to work, and that picket lines are to persuade Unison and Unite members not to cross and not NUT members!

This may be sort of legal requirement etc but in places like newcastle where LEA / Children's Services employed teachers may have been happy to not cross picket lines, and where the council leaders were suppportive (i.e. both Lib and Lab council leaders said their councillors would not cross picket lines) then you would have thought local NUT branch should have said they would support any members who didnt want to cross a picket line? Should this not have been line of NUT Gen Sec?

Huddersfield:

The local newspaper in Huddersfield 'The Examiner' leads with the strikes claiming that the town is one of the 'worst hit' by the nationwide strike. A rally with around 150 attending followed at which a member of the NUT national exec spoke promising she would argue and vote for strike action in her own union at meetings over the next few days in London. Paul Holmes, the local Unison branch secretary gave a rousing speech about the history and importance of the trade union movement as well as condemning scabs. Strikers have been dismayed by the number of GMB members who have crossed picket lines, some flashing their membership cards as if this were an excuse. Such action does nothing but harm calls for cross Union solidarity at a grass roots level, some members of the
GMB, however, did not cross picket lines and postal workers also refused to deliver to local government buildings. Paul also touched on the topic of union organisation and democracy, stresseing that losing was not an option.

We were able to receive a lot of sympathy amongst rank and file unison members on the picket lines for the argument that a long term strategy should be taken in which key workers such as cleaners and IT workers take selective action with financial support from the union. This wasn't mentioned at the rally however and it appears that many of those in positions of control are hoping that it will be enough to wait for NUT strikes later this year and continue believing that a public service general strike is just around the corner.

A second rally was proposed after the picket tomorrow to take place at Dewsbury town hall and picket lines have been both well attended and well defended. Huddersfield local government has closed down for two days. This strike has been successful, but it will take a long fight in order to win the 6% pay rise
that workers need.

Dan Rawnsley

Sheffield:

Around 200 people - mostly strikers - marched the (very short) distance from Devonshire Green to Barkers Pool for a lunchtime rally . The mood amongst the strikers was generally upbeat. The Regional Officer who spoke said that 30,000 were on strike across the region. Very little news on what was shut by the strike. A Unison worker from schools spoke but I haven't heard of any schools being shut. We ran out of Workers liberty strike bulletins as nearly all the strikers took them. Report from the picket lines to follow......
See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/403851.html for pictures

Update 17/08/08
Picket lines in town well attended again. Still reports of quite a few going in but no more than yesterday. Pickets had been told that another strike date has been set for September - to tie in with other public sector workers. Some Labour councillors refused to cross the picket line today though they had yesterday. A Lib Dem councillor went in but spent a long time talking to the pickets about how much he supported them. A postie refused to deliver the mail. Other non-council workers refused to cross. Reports that
libraries were closed but still no reports of any school closures. People were obviously feeling like they didn't have enough info on who can refuse to cross re the schools situation.

One of the branch officers told me that they'd lost 21 higher paid members but gained something like 400! Particularly in home care work where members leaving GMB to join she said.

I talked to a few people about selective action. Didn't get a great response - people obviously weren't particularly thinking along those lines but no-one had a clear idea of how they were going to take the strike forward.

Leicester

Picket lines were impressive and positive at various Leicester City Council offices this morning. A rally in Leicester's Town Hall Square was attended by several hundred strikers in loud voice and good spirits. Speakers from both the Leicester City and Leicestershire County UNISON branches emphasised the need to build on the success of today, not just tomorrow but in future action, and invited guests from the PCS, the NUT and other local unions all talked about the need for greater public sector trade union unity if we are to break the Government-imposed pay limit. A recurring theme was the anger at public sector workers being made scapegoats for government policy, and that low paid workers are the victims, not the cause, of inflation. Strikers reacted with cheers to news that postal workers, milk deliveries and even the "person who cleans the water dispenser in the council offices" all refused to cross the picket lines.

Cambridge
Cambridge County Council - about a dozen on the picket line, with mainly UNISON but also UNITE members. About 50% union density, and most but by no means all union members stayed at home. More than union members scabbing, the concern was about GMB or non-unionised workers coming in, or claiming a day's pay despite not coming in - management are apparently paying non-union employees who don't come in because they are "intimidated" by picket lines. On the other hand, one woman told me that a local
special-needs school had been forced to close, which was good news.