Britain hit by biggest strike

Up to half a million British teachers, university staff, train drivers and civil servants went on strike in the largest co-ordinated action for years amid high inflation and lengthy disputes over pay

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They included 300,000 teachers in England, who the National Education Union says have experienced at least a 23 percent real-terms pay cut since 2010; teachers across two unions in Scotland; around 100,000 civil servants across more than 100 departments, including driving instructors, coastguards and Department of Work and Pensions staff; 70,000 university workers, including lecturers and security staff; and roughly 100,000 train and bus drivers.
Tens of thousands of schools were closed or partially closed, travel and other services were disrupted, while workers set up hundreds of picket lines and hold rallies.
Demands vary by union but include inflation-beating pay rises, including to redress historic real-terms pay falls; pensions reform; and no cuts in redundancy terms. The NEU says teaching is in ‘crisis’ as staff are driven from the profession.
Protests were also over a bill that was passed in the lower house of Parliament which seeks to enforce minimum service levels in some sectors, with some workers able to be fired if they refuse to work when required on strike days.

Based on the materials of www.cnbc.com