June 30: A shot across the bough of the ConDem government

1 July  Yesterday was an amazing day for the fight-back against pension cuts and beyond! A demonstration of what can be achieved when the unions move into action! 
There were picket lines, lunch time rallies, walkouts, occupations and support from unions not even officially on strike but desperate to be involved in some way, despite the vile and vicious propaganda from the government, media and sadly those you would hope to gain support from. Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL, won the biggest cheer at a rally yesterday with: "The response of Ed Miliband has been a disgrace � he should be ashamed of himself. If our strike is a mistake, what has he done to oppose this devastating attack on our pensions? If the Opposition will not defend our pensions, we will."

You would think from looking at most of the main stream press this we are not supported or that very little happened, but to be honest it impossible for us to report all of the details in one bulletin! In terms of demonstrations there were: 4,000 in Brighton, 5,000 in Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, 3,000 in Liverpool, 500 in Ipswich, 800 in Cardiff, Exeter and Truro, 300 in Chester & York, 1,000 in Glasgow, Southampton and Hull, 200 in Southend, 600 in Preston, 1500 in Cambridge, 350 in Reading, 550 in Plymouth, 400 in Doncaster, 100 in Lincoln, 200 in Derby, 700 in Norwich, 30,000 in London and many, many more across the country! More area reports will be added to the website over the next week, please send in yours & details of follow up meetings & actions. 

In some areas the NSSN joined forces with local unions to organise demos and rallies. Outside Central Hall Westminster NSSN speakers addressed the overflow crowd. With a one �day warning shot across the bows of this millionaire coalition government, now is the time to prepare to step up the fight. Thousands of our leaflets, bulletins and postcards were given out, placards were held high. Our message to develop a general strike was welcomed and supported. Tomorrow the new NSSN Steering Committee will be making an assessment of yesterday�s action and discussing a lobby of the TUC on September 11th in London in order to help ratchet up the pressure on these leaders to follow up the March 26th demo with bigger joint strike action in the autumn. 

We would encourage unions; campaign groups etc to follow up meetings of what next, if you have visited some workplaces then re-visit and develop union and community actions in the future. If you were not on strike this time, look at how your union and workplace can take part in the future, invite a local striker and donate to the hardship funds.