| London was the focal point for a nationwide series of walkouts by 12,000 members in DfT and Defra determined to make their voices heard against job cuts, closures and the threat to vital public services. Having attended early morning pickets outside offices all over the country, strikers flocked to the capital for a series of protests and a rally opposite the Houses of Parliament. They were joined by members from the Home Office and other departments using their lunch breaks to support comrades under threat. "I was on a picket line in Bournemouth at 7.30am and then travelled down to London with a colleague," said Berewyn Long who works at a DVLA enforcement centre. "We are here to protest against the announcements that will see the closure of every single DVLA office in England, Wales and Scotland with the loss of up to 1,200 jobs. Everyone is at risk of redundancy and we want to let the DVLA, the DfT and members know the fight is still going on." Neeru Chaudhari, a rep who works in Sidcup, said: "There was a DVLA consultation where 79% of the public said there was no need for closures. Only 8% said they should close the offices which equates to just over 100 people. So they are closing every single office on the say so of 100 people! It is a purely politically act that must be fought." Members working in the DfT gathered outside the Defra building in the heart of London to welcome striking colleagues who walked out at 2pm on their half-day strike. "This is our first day of industrial action and it's great to be linking up with DfT and having support from members in the Home Office to show what can be done when we work together," said Keith Crane, a PCS rep at Defra. "We are all facing the same issues across the public sector. There may be specific issues in local disputes but we are all suffering the impact of the government's austerity agenda. This display shows our potential as a union." Members then marched to the Home Office for a protest outside the main building before assembling in Old Palace Yard outside Parliament. Alan Dennis of the NEC was one of the speakers at the rally. He said: "Thank you for your absolutely outstanding action you are taking today in the face of the most right-wing, regressive government we have seen in a long time. On behalf of the NEC we say this action today is part of a wider campaign not just across the public sector but also across the working people of this country. The 20 October march is a crucial time to put millions on the street and say, 'We have had enough' and use that day as a launching pad for mass co-ordinated action across the UK." Sign the petition against DVLA office closures Prepare for the march on 20 October |