Workers taking strike action to gather in Wigan town centre for meeting and a march

A meeting and a march will be held in Wigan town centre as thousands of workers take industrial action.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A series of strikes are being held next week, starting with junior doctors and dentists working in hospitals, who will begin a 72-hour walkout at 7am on Monday.

Teachers, civil servants, college lecturers and railway workers are also planning to take industrial action in several disputes over pay and conditions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To support those workers, Wigan Trades Council will be holding a meeting and a march, which are open to everyone to attend.

Workers at last month's rally in Wigan town centreWorkers at last month's rally in Wigan town centre
Workers at last month's rally in Wigan town centre
Read More
Four men arrested during dawn raids in Wigan in major drugs probe

On Thursday, there will be a meeting at Little 15 at 11am, then a march and rally at noon, depending on weather conditions.

A rally and meeting had been planned for Wednesday lunchtime – at the same time as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presents his spring budget to Parliament – but this has now been cancelled as many of those on strike are expected to attend a similar demonstration in Manchester city centre instead.

A trades council spokesman said: “Some unions have now got from the Government significantly more than they would otherwise have got without going out on strike. But we can’t leave other workers behind at a time when bills are rising, working conditions assaulted and public services starved of resources.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘On Wednesday, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will announce further measures to make working-class people pay for the crisis the Tories have managed to engineer. He will be cheered by the millionaires and docile MPs on the benches behind him.

"In the meantime, millions are still facing growing energy, food and household prices. People are raiding their savings to keep profiteers afloat and large shareholders happy. The only growth centre of the economy seem to be the food banks.

“The Tories have done untold damage to the quality of life in towns like Wigan, and the strikes over the past weeks and months are the way we should respond. We urge people to get organised and join trade unions. And we urge people to get along to our rallies and meetings on Thursday."