Birmingham residents and public service users speak out in support of trade unions taking strike action tomorrow, as a ComRes poll shows support for public sector workers
Birmingham against the Cuts gives 100% support to today’s public sector strikes.
Spokesperson Matt Raine said,
It’s disgraceful that staff delivering vital public services in our Schools, jobs centres, nursery’s, nursing homes and hospitals are having their pensions cut and being made to retire at up to 68. These proposals disproportionally affect low paid women workers. The Public Sector workers didn’t cause the economic crisis, the bankers did. These same bankers can retire at 55 on a fat cat pension whilst low paid staff in the public sector will be forced to work to 68. The government should drop these proposals immediately.
A ComRes poll showed clear public support for the trade unions:
By 49% to 35%, people agree that the workers have a legitimate reason to strike, and people believe, by 46% to 35%, that the Government would be wrong to change public sector pensions if most workers affected oppose them.
A big majority (78%) agree that it is unfair for low paid public employees to pay the price for mistakes made by bankers before the financial crisis, while 12% disagree
Birmingham residents support the strikes. Sarah Lilley from Woodgate valley said:
As a single working mom of two young children I may have to loose a day’s work, some local nurseries are being closed to support the strikes. I fully support Thursday’s strike action and think the Government need to rethink their approach to pensions and fair pay as well as treating public sector workers better. Why should nursery workers work longer for less pay? Why is it always Public Sector workers that suffer? These are people we count and depend on like our teachers, our nurses etc. The people who play the most important roles in our every day lives. They need to be treated better and have a fair deal.
Claudia Campbell from Balsall Heath said:
I have to sign on every week at a job centre after losing my job last year and now face having my benefits cut. I’m fully behind the job centre staff striking tomorrow, why should the same bankers that made me lose my job get to retire at 55 whilst staff trying to help me get another job are being made to retire at 67 or 68 on a worse pension?
H. Mower from Kingstanding said:
As the parent of a 6 year old whose school will be closed tomorrow I want it to be known that I fully support the actions of the teachers and public service workers who are standing up to defend their pension rights. I don’t want to see teachers being forced to work until they are 67 or 68, how does that help our kids education?
We should all be doing is getting behind the strikes and fighting for a decent pension for all workers. Not trying to erode the pensions of the minority who still have a degree of security in their retirement.
Josh Jones from Erdington said:
As a child of a single parent and user of public services I feel it is vitally important to support the strike action of Public Sector workers against the austerity measures of the ConDem coalition who control both the City Council and Parliament. I know that these cuts are going to hit hardest the most vulnerable, like my family and the staff that provide these services. The proposed cuts to children’s services and leisure facilities will lead to the closures of youth groups, libraries and swimming pools and will damage the mental and physical well being of our most important resource, children.
These are just a few residents, and we need to show the strikers that this city is behind them as they seek to defend our services and their jobs, pay, conditions and/or pensions by taking direct action against this government and their austerity agenda. Today could be the biggest day yet in the struggle against the cuts, so make sure you get out and show your support by visiting a picket line, joining a demo and/or going to the strike rally at 12 noon in Victoria Square.
This page has a map showing the location of all the demos & rallies, and some of the picket lines. If you can’t see something close to you, go down to your nearest Job Centre or Leisure Centre where there is a high chance there will be a picket early in the morning.
(c) Geoff Dexter Sherborne Publications
If you work in the city centre, spend your lunchtime at the strike rally in Victoria square, which assembles at 12noon and will march around the city centre from 12:30 before returning to Victoria Square for a rally. There will be national and local speakers from all the unions involved in the strikes.
Today is J30. Today we strike for the alternative.
Birmingham Against The Cuts 