Unprecedented United Front: Teachers, Doctors, and LU Staff Together for a Monumental Day of Protest

Dave Kellaway and members of the Anti*Capitalist Resistance have contributed to the coverage by providing insightful reports and vivid photographs from todays events.

 

Massive Workforce Unrest: Over 400,000 Professionals Across Diverse Industries Unite in Historic Pay Dispute Strike

In what is believed to be the most significant day of industrial action since the onset of the current wave of unrest last year, striking workers from various sectors have taken to the streets of central London. Teachers marched towards Trafalgar Square, while civil servants raised their voices in chants outside Downing Street, showcasing their determination to fight for their rights and demand change.

RMT and ASLEF picket at E&C Bakerloo line entrance (Photo by Joseph Healy)
Video supplied from colleagues of Inbar Tamari

Teachers, Doctors, and Union Activists Showcase Creativity and Passion in High-Spirited Strike

By Dave Kellaway

A remarkable turnout was seen at today’s protest involving striking teachers, doctors, and union activists. The demographics leaned towards a younger and predominantly female crowd, with participants showcasing their creativity through brilliant homemade placards.

These dedicated educators demonstrated their ingenuity not only in their signs but also with the National Education Union’s (NEU) new cardboard banner. This versatile banner could be held up by two handles or transformed into a clacker, exhibiting the resourcefulness characteristic of the teaching profession.

Junior doctors were also seen sporting fashionable trade union merchandise, such as woolly hats in tangerine – the colors of Blackpool FC. The presence of Labour Constituency Labour Party (CLP) banners from Hackney and Islington added to the event’s energy.

As the march gained momentum, questions arose about the Labour Party’s support for these actions. Observers wondered if some of the millions collected from business donors could be allocated to materially back the cause. Comparisons were drawn to France, where the entire left parliamentary opposition stands with unions against raising the pension age.

A friend and comrade commented on the stark difference this demonstration might have had under a Corbyn/McDonnell leadership. The hope remains that the current militancy will not be diminished by a Labour government, and today’s event has ignited a sense of optimism for the future.

More photos and reports to follow!


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Dave Kellaway is on the Editorial Board of Anti*Capitalist Resistance, a member of Socialist Resistance, and Hackney and Stoke Newington Labour Party, a contributor to International Viewpoint and Europe Solidaire Sans Frontieres.

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