Skip to content or view screen version

N30: What's happening?

anon@indymedia.org (Striking) | 29.11.2011 18:55

Tomorrow (Wednesday November 30th) will see the largest industrial action in the UK for many years, perhaps the biggest since the General Strike of 1926. Inevitably there will be the usual war of words as to the effectiveness of the action, but it is already clear that this will be a significant and disruptive strike locally and nationally.

According to the TUC, there are 30 unions participating in the action, ranging from large general unions like Unison and GMB, through to specialist unions like the Society of Radigraphers (SoR).

Officially this is a response to the government's attack on public sector pensions, but this is clearly as a part of the government's wider "austerity" drive. By taking a stand against the government's pension robbery, workers and their supporters are also opposing the cut more generally.

Traditionally, the mainstream media don't show much interest in strikes until they affect at least one of three areas: schools, bins and/or airports. Tomorrow's action will affect all three.

In Nottinghamshire, it is being reported that 380 schools will shut, which is more than eight out of ten. Note that these are only the ones which have already reported their intention to close.

The picture as regards bins is more complicated. There will be no bin collections in Bassetlaw, with Ashfield District Council expecting "significant disruption to waste collection services." By contrast, Gedling District Council "expect the waste collection service will operate substantially as normal." Broxtowe and Mansfield Councils claim not to know if bins will be collected.

Passengers flying into East Midlands Airport can also expect delays, with border control officers expected to join the strike.

While these are the areas likely to draw the most media attention, they are far from the only places which will be affected with strikes likely to hit hospitals, council offices, registrars, day care centres, colleges, universities and almost every section of the public sector.

There will be pickets across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire from the early hours. Notts Uncut will be taking soup to some of them. If you're not on strike, consider joining them or going to visit your local picket.

There will also be a march from the Forest Recreation Ground, leaving at 11.30am and a number of other events throughout the day.


anon@indymedia.org (Striking)
- http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2218