Comments from the Strike

Why are you out on strike today?

I'm near pension age. The pension cuts will actually devastate my future. I'll be working six to eight years longer and I'll get less pension. I'm 57. I should be retiring at 60. I'll now be 66, 68?

We are being told to contribute more for less pension and made to work longer. On top of the pay freeze it's a triple whammy.

The government imposed a two year pay freeze, the cost of living keeps increasing - I now put £250.00 a month in petrol in the car to get to work - without a pay increase that keeps pace with inflation I have had to cut things like food. My kids don't understand why they cannot have the things they would like. It is simple, this government is destroying my standard of living and now they are coming for my pension. Enough is enough.

I am a teacher and feel my vocation to the job I love is being undermined by a government that has decided to attack its own employees.

In the MOD there are to be 25,000 job losses, the government ripped up the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, now its our Pension. Whats next?

The Government has been shown to have spun the issue of affordability over public sector pensions. I have contributed to my pension for ten years - now its value will be halved. It is unacceptable. Prehaps all those millionaire MP's in the Cabinet should have their pension and benefits taken off them.

My pension is being halved because the government says it is not affordable. The only gold plated pension scheme that I see is theirs. The MP's pension scheme is still RPI index linked; they can recieve a pension that we can only dream of. Talk about a bunch of hypocrits.