More than 100,000 thousand public sector workers across the UK went on strike on Thursday in what union leaders claimed could be the biggest walk-out since the 1926 General Strike.
In Manchester, hundreds of trade union members packed out Piccadilly Gardens including petitioning teachers, council staff and librarians, following disputes with the government over pay, pensions and cuts.
Schools staff, ranging from dinner ladies to teachers, as well as civil servants and fire fighters joined the protest to among the groups walking out in the dispute.
David Cameron and the coalition government appear to be against the strikes following the intended Tory Manifesto, but what are Manchester’s views on striking?
We took to the streets of Piccadilly to ask:
Do you agree with David Cameron that there should be tougher laws on striking?
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Options |
Results |
|
Yes |
31% |
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No |
69% |
From MM’s poll, Manchester were near unanimous in their support of the strikes.
Cameron Young, 18, a student from Old Trafford, said: “We need to strike to secure decent futures and make sue working hard is fairly rewarded.”
Martin Poole, 54, who is self Employed from Timperley, said: “The ability to Strike is necessary for our society to thrive really. It makes us diverse and different to other countries.”
Lucy Moore, 31, a teacher from Derbyshire, said: “Striking’s important to me to ensure my children grow up in a fair society where working hard is properly rewarded.”
Emma Smith, 43, a secretary from Altrincham, said: “A minority government shouldn’t have the right to tell unions they should get 50% the membership vote to strike.”
Retiree Patricia Smith, 64, from Middleton, said: “It’s ironic how MP’s pensions recently received a pay rise with great pensions, who can blame the strikers?”
Peter Churchill, 23, a student from Bury, said: “Striking doesn’t happen enough to set a threshold on the amount of people being allowed to do it.”
Jodie Mcauley, 20, a beauty therapist from Salford, said: “People should be allowed to strike if they want to, but equally not feel pressured into doing so.”
Michael Waters, 50, self-employed from Stockport: “I do not agree because you should always have the right to withdraw your labour as long as you go about it within the law.”
Amy Ling, 22, a student from Liverpool, said: “It’s a personal preference, if you want to strike, you should be allowed to.”
Michelle Anderson, 25, a hairdresser from Chester, said: “I disagree with Cameron, it doesn’t matter if you’re in an essential job, if you feel the need to strike you should be able to do so.”
However, not everyone was in favour of the cuts, as one teacher MM spoke to questioned the motives behind those in education who joined strikes.
Jessica Milton, 37, a teacher from Wigan, said: “It feels more about fighting to prove we are a better teacher than the next rather than being able to give children a quality education.”
Image courtesy of Nick Efford, with thanks.
