2011 UK public sector strikes
Encyclopedia
The 30 November, 2011 UK Public Sector Pensions Strike was a series of strikes over the whole of the UK. 60% of schools in England were closed and 6,000 hospital operations cancelled as up to two million public sector workers went on strike.
The Department for Education said 58% of 21,700 state schools in England were closed, with 13% of these partially shut down. In Scotland just 30 of the 2,700 council run schools remained open. In Wales around 80% were believed shut and in Northern Ireland more than 50% of 1,200 schools were closed.
In the health sector, NHS managers estimated that some 6,000 out of 30,000 routine operations had been cancelled throughout the UK, as well as tens of thousands of appointments. London Ambulance Service told the BBC that it was struggling and people not in a life-threatening condition might not get an ambulance.
The strike saw walkouts by tens of thousands of border agency staff, probation officers, radiographers, librarians, job centre staff, court staff, social workers, refuse collectors, midwives, road sweepers, cleaners, school meals staff, paramedics, tax inspectors, customs officers, passport office staff, police civilian staff, driving test examiners, patent officers and health and safety inspectors.
In Wales unions reported around 170,000 workers on strike, and in Scotland around 300,000.
Up to 1,000 marches and rallies took place across the UK. Four arrests were made ahead of the national rally in London, two for assaulting an officer and two for possession of a weapon.
said that the strike was a "damp squib", with many key services continuing to operate. The government claimed that the turnout was "much lower" than the two million claimed by the Unions. BBC
frontman on "The One Show" Jeremy Clarkson
condemned the two million workers. "I would have them all shot", he said. "I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families". The One Show apologised at the end of the show to viewers who may have been offended by Jeremy Clarkson's comments.
Service disruption
The strike actions resulted in disruption of services including- 19,000 out of 21,700 schools in England closed or partially closed.
- 6,000 out of 30,000 non-urgent medical operations cancelled.
- 135,000 civil servants on strike, representing just over a quarter of the civil service.
The Department for Education said 58% of 21,700 state schools in England were closed, with 13% of these partially shut down. In Scotland just 30 of the 2,700 council run schools remained open. In Wales around 80% were believed shut and in Northern Ireland more than 50% of 1,200 schools were closed.
In the health sector, NHS managers estimated that some 6,000 out of 30,000 routine operations had been cancelled throughout the UK, as well as tens of thousands of appointments. London Ambulance Service told the BBC that it was struggling and people not in a life-threatening condition might not get an ambulance.
The strike saw walkouts by tens of thousands of border agency staff, probation officers, radiographers, librarians, job centre staff, court staff, social workers, refuse collectors, midwives, road sweepers, cleaners, school meals staff, paramedics, tax inspectors, customs officers, passport office staff, police civilian staff, driving test examiners, patent officers and health and safety inspectors.
In Wales unions reported around 170,000 workers on strike, and in Scotland around 300,000.
Up to 1,000 marches and rallies took place across the UK. Four arrests were made ahead of the national rally in London, two for assaulting an officer and two for possession of a weapon.
Reactions
UK Prime Minister David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
said that the strike was a "damp squib", with many key services continuing to operate. The government claimed that the turnout was "much lower" than the two million claimed by the Unions. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
frontman on "The One Show" Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
condemned the two million workers. "I would have them all shot", he said. "I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families". The One Show apologised at the end of the show to viewers who may have been offended by Jeremy Clarkson's comments.