Hundreds of public sector workers manned picket lines across Basingstoke in protest at the Government's proposed pension reforms.
Dozens of schools across the borough were closed as teachers joined council and hospital staff for Wednesday’s national strike.
But Basingstoke MP and government minister Maria Miller branded the strikes as “inexcusable”.
In Basingstoke, members of Unison, GMB, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) manned pickets from 6am outside the civic offices in London Road, Basingstoke, and at North Hants Hospital, Parkland Hospital and the town’s magistrates’ court.
The unions claim the changes will mean their members will have to pay more into their pensions and work for longer.
On the day, the county and borough councils said disruption to services was minimal, and Donna Green, director of nursing at Basingstoke hospital, said it was “business as usual” with no operations being cancelled. By mid-morning, hundreds of protesters had gathered at the front of The Malls, clad in purple Unison bibs, waving placards and blowing whistles in time with chants of “no ifs, no buts, no pension cuts”.
Unison member Henry Kelly, 57, from Kings Furlong, works in hospital transportation, said he was striking because the reforms would hit the younger generation.
“The young will not get to take a good pension. They are going to have to work for longer for a lot less money,” he said.
“And I do not get a gold plated pension. We are showing the Government that they can’t kick us in the teeth all the time.”
Police watched as the strikers paraded through Festival Place to Basingstoke and Deane’s civic offices. An officer said the demonstration was good natured.
But striker Janet Wigney, 48, who works for Hampshire County Council’s children’s services, said she had been set upon by a woman trying to grab her whistle and pull off her Unison armband, but she said the public were supportive of their cause.
“Apart from the incident, I think it has been really good,” she said. “A lot of people have given us encouragement and support.”
But MP Maria Miller said: “This strike is inappropriate, untimely, and irresponsible, and school closures will hit parents hardest at a time when family finance is under pressure.
“I have met local public sector workers in Basingstoke and understand their concerns about the importance of pension provision. I believe that the Government has listened to the concerns of public sector workers and put a generous pension offer on the table, which is also fair and affordable to other taxpayers.”
At the civic offices, the 300-strong crowd heard from Labour councillor Paul Harvey, and Ian Edney, president of ATL.
Mr Edney said the strike was the first in ATL’s 127-year history.
And Unison rep James Marsh, who had been picketing from 7am and helped organise the Basingstoke march, said: “I was beside myself with joy at the final numbers. I was so pleased – it exceeded all my expectations.”
