Picket line video: Strike-hit Britain warned over a grim autumn of discontent

Hundreds of thousands of teachers, lecturers and civil servants walked out in protest at controversial changes to their pensions.

And there were warnings of worse to come. The head of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, Mark Serwotka, predicted that as many as four million workers could strike in the autumn if the bitter row is not resolved.

In Yorkshire tens of thousands of pupils had lessons cancelled as more than 1,200 schools were hit by the action.

A total of 579 schools were forced to close altogether while another 642 more cancelled classes. Rallies were held in Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York as teaching unions joined industrial action along with PCS members.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) were staging one-day walkouts over pension changes which will leave their members working longer, paying more and receiving less. It was the first national strike in the ATL’s 127-year history, teachers accusing the Government of punishing the profession in order to bring down the national budget deficit.

The headteacher of Beverley Grammar School, Chris Goodwin, said it was immoral to take money from pensions and put it into “the black hole created by the banks”, while NUT Calderdale branch secretary Sue McMahon said: “Some members of the public do not understand what the dispute is about but they do understand it when you ask them, ‘Would you want your child’s class taught by a 68-year-old?’ They look at you in horror.”

But parents forced to find alternative care for their children or take days off were not supportive of further action.

Siobhan Freegard of parenting website Netmums warned: “Tolerance is not going to stretch very far because the majority of mums now work. One or two days are fine, and businesses understand, but a lot of people work in situations where businesses aren’t going to put up with taking all these days off, and, as with snow days, start docking money.”

The industrial action continues, PCS members holding a month-long ban on overtime which Mr Serwotka said would hit jobcentres, passport and benefit offices and Government departments.

Union leaders clashed with the Government over the impact of the mass walkout. The PCS said it was the best supported strike it had ever held, with 200,000 taking action but the Government put the figure at half that, saying action was “premature”.

Protests were held in around 80 towns and cities across the UK, while prison officers and anti-tax avoidance group UK Uncut also took part in demonstrations.

A large-scale protest held in Trafalgar Square, London, brought tens of thousands onto the streets. One police officer and six members of the public were said to have been injured but Scotland Yard said scenes had been “largely peaceful”.

A total of 37 people were arrested in London for offences including possession of drugs, criminal damage, breach of the peace and an alleged breach of a bylaw at Trafalgar Square.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude remained bullish in the face of the action, stating: “Reform of public sector pensions is inevitable, but we will ensure that public sector pensions will still be among the very best, with a guaranteed pension which very few private sector staff now enjoy.”

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