Striking public sector workers confront government {UK}

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/uk-britain-strikes-idUKTRE7AS2WT20111130

Reuters) - Teachers, nurses and border guards walked out on Wednesday as up to two million state workers staged Britain's first mass strike for more than 30 years in a growing confrontation with a deficit-cutting coalition government.

Public sector employees are protesting over reforms that unions say will force them to work for longer before they can retire, and pay more for pensions which will be worth less.

Their anger has been fuelled by new curbs on their pay and additional job cuts outlined on Tuesday when the Conservative-led government cut economic growth forecasts and said its tough austerity programme would last until 2017.

"Why are the government picking on us in the public sector?," said Kevin Smith, 54, picketing in pale winter sunshine outside parliament in London, where he works as a security officer.