More strikes and protests in pensions dispute

Civil servants, lecturers, health workers, Ministry of Defence staff, immigration officers, and off-duty police officers will be among those joining strikes and other protests on Thursday.

Jobcentres, airports, tax offices, colleges, driving test centres, museums and military sites will all be hit by this week’s walkout, which will also see picket lines and rallies held across Yorkshire, and follows last November’s huge stoppage by more than one and a half million workers in protest at the planned changes to their pensions.

Most public sector unions remain opposed to the reforms, which they warn would leave millions of workers having to pay more into their pensions, retire later and receive less when they stop work.

Off-duty rank-and-file police officers will also march through central London on Thursday, passing by the Home Office, in a protest over proposed changes to their pay and conditions.

Along with the armed forces and prison officers, the police are banned in law from taking industrial action but many officers are angry with the Government in the wake of 20 per cent budget cuts and proposals for the most wide-ranging reform of police pay and conditions in more than 30 years.

Officers from Yorkshire’s four forces, which are trying to overcome combined budget cuts of about £200m over four years, are expected to be among those attending.