Thousands of public-sector workers attended rallies and lobbies on Friday 18 February to protest at government plans to downgrade public-sector pensions schemes. Friday 18 February was called by the TUC as a nationwide day of protest on pensions.
Demonstrations, protests and rallies were held in:
- Cambridge: a demo in the town centre. Workers at Addenbrooke's Hospital held workplace meetings about the NHS Pensions Review.
- Camden: UNISON organised an open-topped double decker with a specially-made banner proclaiming “strike now to save our pensions”.
- Croydon: Pensioners Alliance groups, Croydon UNISON, PCS and BWTUC held a leafleting and petition-signing event outside Whitgift Shopping Centre.
- Lambeth: a joint lunchtime protest between Lambeth Trades Council and the Lambeth Pensioners Action Group (LAMPAG).
- Hammersmith and Fulham: rally outside the town hall.
- Islington: a lobby of Islington Town Hall at lunchtime.
- Manchester: a very good demo in St Peters Square, Manchester with at least 200 people.
- Newham: two lunchtime marches and rallies were held in Newham, one in Stratford and one in East Ham.
- Southend: a demonstration of 200 workers marched from the civic centre in Southend.
- York: a rally in St Helens Square with a whole range of public service workers represented.