British workers vote to strike over pension reform

A million British public sector workers voted Thursday to go on strike at the end of the month over government plans to reform their pensions. Members of Unison, which is the largest trade union in Europe and whose members are mostly drawn from across the public sector including hospitals, schools and colleges, and the power sector, backed the call for a strike on Nov. 30. A million members were asked to vote and 315,000 did so, with 245,000 in favor of a strike. The one-day strike is timed to coincide with other strikes by the largest British unions, acting under the umbrella of the Trades Union Congress, which called for a day of strikes in protest at cuts in public sector spending as part of the government's austerity plan. The coalition government attempted to avert strike actions over pension reforms, with concessions announced Wednesday by Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons that would see no reduction in pensions for anyone who retires over the next 10 and a half years. "The decisive vote in the ballot reflects the deep concern that our members have over government proposals for their pensions. Yesterday's statement in parliament was a marked improvement on earlier proposals, but it is important to understand that the statement has to be translated into offers in the scheme specific talks," Unison's General Secretary Dave Prentis said. "We still have had no offer in those negotiations, where such an offer can legitimately be made," Prentis added. In March this year, over 250,000 members of British trades unions joined forces for a rally and marched through central London in protest at the government's austerity cuts in public spending. The march passed off peacefully, but a small breakaway group captured headlines with a brief occupation of the famous department store Fortnum and Mason's, while smaller groups charged through London's main shopping area around Piccadilly, smashing windows of banks and clashing with riot police.