THOUSANDS of union members across the county have joined a one-day strike on Tuesday in a dispute over their pensions.

The stoppage caused disruption in schools and to a range of council services as union leaders claimed widespread support from local government workers throughout the county.

Refuse collectors, home helps, school cooks, classroom assistants, cleaners, social workers and street sweepers were among the workers heeding the strike call.

A wide range of Kent County Council and borough council clerical and administrative staff also joined the stoppage as well as some civilian police staff.

Picket lines were mounted across Kent, while rallies were held at venues like County Hall in Maidstone and Gravesend civic offices.

The unions, who have warned of further action in the run up to the local council elections in May, are angry at government plans to scrap a rule that currently allows some members of the Local Government Pension Scheme to retire on a full pension at 60.

At the centre of the dispute is the so-called Rule 85 - which lets staff retire at 60 if their age, plus years worked, equals 85 or more. If the rule ends, the unions say all two million local government workers will have to work until the age of 65 by 2013.

Ted Purcell, the senior organiser for Britain's General Union (GMB) in Kent, said all local government workers want is for the existing pension scheme to remain in place.

He said: "Many of these people joined the local government pension scheme knowing full well that there was an early retirement at the end of it for long service.

"Our members are now finding out they won't be able to do this if these proposals go through.

"You are looking at somewhere in the region of £35 a week for somebody who retires who has done 20 years of service and that is appalling."

The unions want workers who signed up for the scheme to have their pension rights protected in the same way as police officers, NHS workers, civil servants and teachers - who can all retire on full pension at 60.

The strike was jointly organised by eight trade unions - including Unison, the Transport and General Workers Union and the GMB.

Outside the Compass Centre at Chatham Maritime, Unison's branch secretary for Medway, Brian Kelly, said: "The Government has allowed some public employees such as teachers, nurses and fire fighters to retire at 60.

"But poorly paid workers such as clerical staff and care assistants have to wait until they are 65. This is discrimination against workers, most of whom are women."

Teaching assistants, members of the GMB, picketing outside the Municipal Buildings, Gillingham, said: "They are taking our pensions away. What right have they got to do that?"

Outside the Civic Centre, Unison lead steward Lesley Carden said: "We think we should be treated like anyone else where pensions are concerened."

Debbie Robinson, who works in the council tax collection department at Swale House in Sittingbourne, said: "I’m 44 and signed up for a pension from the age of 60 but now all that could go."

A spokesman for Medway Council said no front line services, such as refuse collection, had been affected and no schools had to close, despite more than 700 council staff joining the strike.

However, of the Council's 17 libraries did close, including Rochester and Chatham, and the mobile library service.

Nationally, more than a million council workers were expected to join the biggest bout of industrial action since the 1926 General Strike.

Julie Lawrence, Unison deputy regional secretary said: "We have had an amazing response to the strike call and we are very pleased with the turnout in Kent.

"Our members in Kent feel very strongly about the proposed changes to the pension scheme and the number joining the strike demonstrates the strength of feeling."

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