Pension passions run high

The action was taken against the government's proposal to raise the pension age for many council workers from 60 to 65.

A total of 43 council staff from the Unison and GMB trade unions formed a picket outside Arun Civic Centre in Littlehampton on Tuesday.

Patrick Gorman, chairman of the Arun Unison branch, said: "All we are asking is to maintain the existing pension and for new employees who come in to remain on the same scheme.

"It's what many people have been paying into for the last 30 years.

"The average annual pension for a male local government worker is just 3,400 and that drops to around 2,000 if you're a woman.

"You can't have dignity in old age on low pensions."

Juan Baeza, a town planner at Arun, who joined the picket line on Tuesday, said: "If they can spend billions of pounds invading Iraq then they can afford to give us a decent pension."

Civilian staff at Littlehampton police station were joined by probation workers on their picket outside the station.

Anne Hayes, who works on the station's front desk, said: "The support from the public has been fantastic.

"I'm coming up to retirement age and I'm concerned for those who are not yet and the way their pensions are being changed without consultation."

Emergency calls to the police were not affected by the strike.

Staff at Littlehampton Swimming and Sports Centre did not strike, despite many of them supporting the action.

Centre manager David Batchelor said this was because of the changeover to the Inspire Leisure Trust at the weekend and the preparations needed for that.

He said: "While a lot of staff at the centre belong to Unison, they didn't want to affect our customers at such a delicate time.

"Some staff have donated a day's pay to the strike fund in support of their colleagues who did strike and we are grateful for their action."