LIVE BLOG: latest from largest UK strike for 30 years
• Two million join picket lines at schools, hospitals, colleges
• Protesters clash with police in central London
• David Cameron labels strike ‘damp squib’
22.00: Ambulance services are under “severe” pressure in London with bosses making a plea to other services for support. Deputy Director of Operations Jason Killens said: “Pressure on the ambulance service continues and, as part of our contingency planning, we are receiving support from a range of agencies. Ambulance services that border the capital are offering support; and GPs have been requested to visit some of those patients who we have been unable to send an ambulance response to, particularly in areas where we are under significant pressure such as rast London. The GPs will provide medical care to patients in their homes, and where necessary we will take them to hospital for further treatment.”
19.00: The Panton street protesters (see video below) from Occupy London – the anti-capitalist protesters camped out in the churchyard of St Paul’s Cathedral – said they were “targeting” Mick Davis, the CEO of mining company Xstrata.
18.30:Government and unions are offering conflicting figures over the size of the industrial action, in a public relations. Read more: Public sector strike – historic day or damp squib?
@RuwaydaMustafah: Proud to be British, people not willing to give up w/o a fight.
18.15: Police say they are slowly releasing protesters from the kettle on Panton street. Some of the protesters who gained entry to Panton House ran to the top floor of the building, where about 15 of them held a banner stretching across the building that said: “All power to the 99%”.
17.00: There have been 52 arrests in London following strike-related clashes.
16.30: Police said they are in the process of making a number of arrests for aggravated trespass. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “At approximately 3.50pm a containment was put in place outside Panton House, Haymarket, to prevent disorder by a group of protesters outside the building. Some protesters have entered the building and officers are in the process of making arrests for aggravated trespass.”
16.00: A small number of protesters in central London have stormed an office building. The group, believed to be from UK Uncut, targeted Panton House in Panton Street after marching down Haymarket. A handful broke got inside the building and reached the roof. Police officers are on site trying to get them off the roof.
More from Channel 4 News – Interative map: public sector strikes
15.50: More than three-quarters of England’s schools – 76 per cent – have been affected by today’s strike over pensions, according to the Department for Education (DfE).
15.00: Airports and ports are also being affected by the strike. There were fears that the strike could lead to border chaos, but a UK Border Agency spokesman said: “Early signs show our contingency plans are minimising the impact of strike action, but waiting times at some ports may still be slightly longer than normal.”
Your view: “Jenny” writes: Being a teacher I know that we are educating the doctors, nurses, teachers, bus drivers etc of the future, however what future are we giving them? With these changes I have to work another 42 years before I can retire and I wonder how effective I will be as an educator when I reach that stage.
14.30: A teacher from the south west of England tells Channel 4 News: “Technically I am on strike, but I don’t believe in it – I can’t see where the money is going to come from and I fear if it does change, people will lose their jobs.
“I was told I would have to resign from my union if I didn’t strike, but I felt I owed my union. Regardless, I am not in work today, losing at least £120, and doing marking from home.”
13.30: Crowds are gathering for rallies in London and across the UK. Two protesters have been arrested after a woman police community support officer (PCSO) was assaulted in clashes surrounding strikes at Hackney in east London. A heavy police presence remains, according to one witness for Channel 4 News.
Above: Strikers gather at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in central London. They will march to Westminster where union leaders will address a rally.
Your view: “Charity worker” writes: Why should I support at strike that calls for better pensions only for public sector workers? I work in the charity sector supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our society and I give a disproportionate chunk of my tiny wage package to the tax man but only public sector workers reap the benefit and are demanding more.
12.35: Cabinet Minister Francis Maude gives a statement on the public sector strike action, calling the number of people taking action a “low response”. He said the reforms being opposed are “long overdue” and that continued walkouts would be “just plain wrong”. Mr Maude said the NHS is largely coping well with the action – but some surgery had been cancelled, a matter of “deep regret”.
12.00: At Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader Ed Miliband hit out at the government’s economic plans, joking: “Some strikers earn less than what the chancellor spends on his annual skiing holiday.” He said “working families” are “paying the price of the government’s failure”.
David Cameron quipped back: “They’re all shouting in unison – or should that be, they’re all shouting on behalf of Unison!”
@adhdr: I work in the real world (private sector) so business as usual for me
The PM said: “We are being tested by economic times but we’re getting on top of it”, accusing Miliband of being “leftwing and weak”. He also said today’s industrial action was a “damp squib”.
#n30 pensions strike – add your voice
Schools out
Rachael Penn (pictured) runs her own business, a florist/greengrocers in Nottinghamshire. Her son Taylor’s school is closed today because of the strike and so Mrs Penn had no choice but to bring him to the shop with her.
“It’s frustrating for me and for my son. I’d rather he was in school. I run my own business, I have no choice but to open up the shop. I can’t afford to take a day off school.”
Mrs Penn is self-employed and doesn’t have a pension. “I can understand teachers are angry, but I wish they didn’t have to close the school for the day.”
Above: strikers on the picket line in Camden, north London.
The walkouts, which started just after midnight, began to take effect during Wednesday’s morning rush hour as picket lines appeared across the UK’s towns and cities. A total of 29 trade unions voted to strike over proposed reforms to their pensions.
More from Channel 4 News: Childcare rules relaxed for pension strike
Transport: Plane arrivals and take-offs at Britain’s two biggest airports were largely unaffected by today’s strike. UK borders are open – staffed by volunteers from the civil service.
Schools: Millions of children are staying home as teachers and heads take to picket lines, forcing schools to close their doors.
@whealie: My children are still in bed, resolutely not crossing picket lines in solidarity with their teachers
Hospitals: Thousands of NHS operations and appointments have been cancelled and rescheduled.
Scotland: Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers walk out over proposed changes to their pensions.
Northern Ireland: Public transport system has ground to a halt in biggest trade union strike for decades.
Wales: Around 170,000 workers have gone on strike as part of the UK-wide industrial action.
As two million public workers go on strike in a row over pensions – Channel 4 News brings you the latest news, photos and video from around the UK. Add your voice in the window above or via @channel4news on Twitter. And you can upload your photos to our Facebook page here.