"UK public employees stage 1-day strike; Protests over government cuts amid debt crisis" December 01, 2011|By David Stringer, Associated Press
LONDON - Paramedics, emergency crews, teachers, and even some employees from the prime minister’s office took to the streets of Britain for the country’s largest strike in decades - drawing attention to government cuts but failing to bring the nation to a standstill.
Public sector employees staged the one-day walkout yesterday over government demands that they work longer before receiving a pension and pay more in monthly contributions, part of austerity measures to tackle Britain’s $1.5 trillion debt.
The strike came a day after the government announced that public sector pay raises will be limited to 1 percent through 2014 - even as inflation now runs about 5 percent.
“The government wants us to work longer, pay more, and at the end get less. How fair is that?’’ said Eleanor Smith, president of the UNISON trade union, which represents about 1 million health, education, and law enforcement staff. Smith joined a picket outside Birmingham Women’s Hospital in central England, where she works as a nurse.
Prime Minister David Cameron defended the government’s stance in Parliament, insisting that “as people live longer it’s only right and only fair that you should make greater contributions.’’
“I don’t want to see any strikes, I don’t want to see schools closed, I don’t want to see problems at our borders, but this government must make responsible decisions,’’ Cameron told the House of Commons.
Now please excuse him as he cuts checks for international bankers and Wall Street financial firms.
Labor unions in Britain said as many as 2 million public sector staff joined the strike, which would make it the largest since the infamous industrial dispute known as the Winter of Discontent in 1979, which presaged the arrival of Margaret Thatcher as prime minister.
A small number of separate protesters, meanwhile, stormed an office in London’s West End as night fell. Police said 21 arrests had been made there and the incident was unrelated to the strike.
Police said late yesterday that a march and demonstration in central London was “a peaceful affair,’’ though a small number of groups unconnected to the main march came to commit crime....
Britain's agent provocateurs.
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Another provocateur:
"BBC asked to fire TV host for remark" December 02, 2011|Associated Press
LONDON - A British trade union denounced a low blow from the host of the popular TV show “Top Gear.’’
The UNISON union yesterday demanded that the BBC fire Jeremy Clarkson after the opinionated TV presenter said striking public workers should be shot.
Clarkson apologized yesterday, saying he had not meant anyone to take him seriously when he said strikers who had participated in Britain’s largest public sector walkout in 30 years should be executed “in front of their families.’’
“I’d have them all shot,’’ Clarkson said on BBC television’s “One Show’’ Wednesday. “I mean, how dare they go on strike when they’ve got these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?’’
I'm so sick of pricks with a microphone.
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Her Majesty's Royal Subjects
