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Strikers march in protest of pension cuts                  30/11/11

About 250 strikers and supporters participated in a march through Stornoway in protest of government cuts to public sector pensions on Wednesday.

With schools and infant nurseries also on strike, many parents took their children along as they waved banners and placards on the route from the Western Isles Council buildings into Perceval Square in the town centre where a rally followed. It was the largest public demonstration seen on the island for years.

Sports centres, libraries, council and council offices, were shut in the Western Isles due to the strike.

Pickets took place outside the Work and Pensions office, Western Isles NHS main offices, the Stornoway hospital, Stornoway Port Authority premises, and the council’s Marybank depot.

Only about 20 employees out of a few hundred turned up for work at Western Isles Council’s headquarters in Stornoway - and many of them had dispensations to attend work.

Virtually all island schools were shut - only Scalpay, Shawbost Primary, Seilibost and Tong schools were open for pupils though the walk out by council bus drivers mean no public transport for many pupils and islanders.

Daliburgh, Iochdar and Leverburgh are the only council run nurseries open.

Bus services operated by the council for Point, Back, North Tolsta and in Uist will be off the road. Bin collections will also be affected.  Dispensations were agreed with the trade unions for not to hit residential homes, home care and emergency services such as the Faire alarm network.

First time striker, Rebecca Macleod who works in the chief executive’s department at Western Isles Council, said: “I’ve never been on strike before but I feel really strongly about this.

“We suffered pay cuts for two years and the money they’re taking is not going back into pensions but going to fund the Treasury.

“Inflation is at 5% and we’re taking a pay freeze. We’ve taken enough and its really unfair. It is time to stand up.”

Also on the march was Kevin Macphail, a teacher at Nicolson Institute, Stornoway.

Mr Macphail said: “We are not being listened to by the government. This is going to affect us all - not just young or old teachers.”

He stressed the mix of people of all ages, different union membership and varied jobs highlighted the wide impact the cuts would have.

Flora Somerville of UNISON Western Isles Local Government branch said. “Going on strike has been a last resort for us – but we’ve been forced into it.

“The Government have put through changes which will mean our pensions will decrease by as much as 15% - and they haven’t ruled out further changes which could mean people getting even less - or having work longer to get it.

“None of the money raised by these measures will go into paying for pensions - instead all of it will go to paying off debt run up bailing out greedy bankers. This isn’t fair - everyone deserves a decent pension”