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"March 28 must be a
springboard to further action."
Martin Powell-Davies, Inner London NUT NEC, reports from
yesterdays London strike and demonstration
29 March On what felt like
the the hottest day of the year so far, thousands of teachers and lecturers
gathered in Malet Street, central London. It was soon clear that Londoners HAD
turned out in force to show that, given the call to action to stop this pensions
robbery, trade unionists will respond!
All photo's ŠPaul Mattson
The official totals at the start of the march were between 6 and
7,000 but, as we headed down Whitehall, I heard two police officers at the front
of the march discussing whether 'it's more like ten thousand now" !
Of course, and as a harsh lesson in media studies to striking teachers, the
press has largely tried to ignore the strike and hope that they can pretend it
never took place. But the thousands of parents whose schools have been closed
and the thousands of trade unionists waiting for good news from London will know
the truth - that the strike was solidly supported.
Fair pensions for ALL - Visteon pensioners protest with us
Outside Downing Street, our public-sector demonstration met up with
private-sector ex-Visteon workers who were also marching against the robbery of
their pensions. As the banner at the front of the NUT/UCU march explained, this
was about 'Fair Pensions for All' not just for teachers. This Government wants
to rob ALL of us and we should ALL be fighting that robbery together.
What the day has shown is that the anger against the threat to make us work on
to 68 or more, as well as the pay cuts that will start next month as the
increased contributions begin, runs as deep as ever. Now March 28 must be a
springboard to further action.
Lewisham NUT members turned out in good numbers and the motion, passed
unanimously at our AGM on Monday, summed up the feelings of many on the march:
"This Association deplores the National Executive's decision to only call London
regional action on March 28 and urges Conference delegates to support the call
for an escalating program of national action in the summer term and beyond,
including considering action of more than one day's duration, and to call on
other unions to join with us in that action."
The debate will continue at NUT Conference over Easter but, for now, London NUT
and UCU members have pulled off an important and successful action - now let's
go forward from here to build a united national campaign that can still force
this Government to retreat.
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