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  • "
    Farsley Bantam wrote:
    allinittogether wrote:
    What is the real objection of people who are criticising these workers standing up for their rights?
    Seems to me that mentality is that "my pensions knackered so yours should be too".
    Any criticism should be directed squarely at the people who have caused the mess in the first place; greedy private sector financial services companies and politicians.
    The objection is people in the private sector are paying for public sector workers' pensions that are far better than anything available in the private sector, even with the proposed changes.
    The mentality is not 'my pensions knackered so yours should be' its 'why should I pay for your pension when it is considerably better than mine'.
    Surely you agree with that?
    Please explain how the private sector is paying for the public sectors pensions.....
    And don't give me any of that rubbish that your paying taxes etc... cos so do the public sector aswell as 12% contributions in my particular job."
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Thousands join public sector strike across Bradford district

7:00am Friday 11th May 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Kathie Griffiths , T&A Reporter

Pickets outside Bradford College Buy this photo » Pickets outside Bradford College

Striking public sector workers have warned it will be a summer of discontent if the Govern-ment does not “sit up and listen”.

Pickets were staged across Bradford yesterday in protest at the long-running row over pensions.

In the city centre there were strikers outside the tax office in Forster Square, Job Centres in Vicar Lane and Manningham Lane, Bradford Crown Court and Bradford College.

And 200 off-duty police officers from Bradford and Keighley were in London joining 30,000 others at a rally protesting at potential cuts to their pay and conditions and fears about job security.

In total, thousands of workers across the district took part in the national day of action, including NHS staff, lecturers and college workers.

Only a handful of staff were reported to be out on strike at Bradford Royal Infirmary. A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said no services there had been affected.

Members of Unite, the Public and Commercial Services union and the University and College Union were demonstrating their anger at changes to their pensions.

President Jackie Green, Bradford president of the Public and Commercial Services Ministry of Justice, who was outside Bradford Crown Court, said the strike shut the Crown Court’s reception, forcing senior managers to step in to keep some courts open.

Mrs Green said: “We are here because changes mean our members are having to pay more contributions to their pensions, work longer and will get less for it at the end of their working life.

“Today’s action is just one day but we have a whole programme planned – it will be a summer of discontent.”

In London, the West Yorkshire Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, had about 700 of its members joining up to 30,000 of their off-duty counterparts from across England and Wales for the rally which included a two-hour march around central London.

The Federation says West Yorkshire has lost 550 officers in the last two years through ‘natural wastage’ who had not been replaced.

Andrew Tempest-Mitchell, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “The Government needs to sit up and see they cannot ride roughshod over us, they have to show us respect. This action is just the start.”

Federation members are disappointed with the Govern-ment’s 20 per cent cuts in policing and recommendations on changes for pay and conditions.

West Yorkshire Police will have £100 million cut from its budget from 2012 to 2015 and has lost £33 million this year.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@telegraphandargus.co.uk

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