Two million British workers walk over retirement benefits

London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – Up to 2 million public sector workers walked off jobs in schools, hospitals and police stations across the United Kingdom on Wednesday to protest proposed pension reforms.

As of noon London time, the government reported that the strike appeared to be having limited impact on many public services. However, more than half of the country’s schools were closed, impacting many families.

Prime Minister David Cameron dismissed the strike as a “damp squib” (a fizzled firecracker).

Chaos was expected at Heathrow Airport in London, one of the world’s busiest international airports, but operations were normal, officials said.

British Airways confirmed it had not canceled any of its own flights, though a few code-sharing flights were canceled.

Strikes and marches prompted by the proposed pension reforms were taking place in cities across the country. Public sector workers say they are bearing the brunt of austerity measures imposed to try to rein in Britain’s deficit.

Union leaders say it is unfair to expect public sector workers to pay more into their pensions, work longer and accept worse terms for their pensions.

The action comes one day after Chancellor George Osborne, the British finance minister, announced a pay raise cap of 1 percent for public sector workers for two years after the current pay freeze ends, as he lowered growth forecasts in an assessment of the economy.

The Labor Party argues that the poor growth is a result of the government’s spending cuts and tax hikes, which it says have put the most pressure on growth and strained any recovery.

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