November 22, 2011 2.55 pm This story is over 147 months old

Lincoln strike on November 30 ‘as big as it gets’

Union strikes: Lincoln will play its part in the November 30 national strike day, set to be the biggest one yet.

Lincolnshire unions are warning the strike planned in Lincoln on November 30, as part of a national initiative, will be the the biggest one yet.

It’s expected that over two million public servants will go on strike to defend their pensions and Lincoln will play its part as well.

“In 25 years as a trade union activist in this county, I’ve never been involved in action on this scale,” said Lincolnshire Unison branch secretary John Sharman.

“In fact, I don’t think anyone in living memory will have witnessed what we’re going to see next week. This really is as big as it gets.”

The strike will include trade union members in local government (Lincolnshire County Council and all seven district councils), the National Health Service, schools (teachers, headteachers and support staff), University of Lincoln staff and all the further education colleges in the county.

“Our members are being told that they’ll have to pay more, work longer, and get less in their pensions,” said Sharman (pictured below).

“It’s a myth to think that what they have now are gold-plated schemes. In local government, the average pensioner gets £4,000 a year – £2,600 if she’s a woman.

“The real pensions divide in this country isn’t between public and private sector workers – it’s between rich and poor.”

In Lincoln the joint trade union march and rally on November 30 will assemble at Tentercroft Street car park at 11.30am.

The march will culminate in a rally in the Drill Hall on Free School Lane at 12.30pm.

Source: UNISON Lincolnshire