U.K. Public Employees, Teachers Strike Over Austerity Pay

British public-sector workers walked out today to protest pay, pensions and job cuts, closing schools, courts and libraries across the U.K.

Government employees belonging to Unite, Unison and the GMB labor groups joined members of the National Union of Teachers, the Fire Brigades Union and the Public and Commercial Services union in a day of action focused on below-inflation pay rises for workers across the public sector. The unions said more than 1 million workers went on strike, a number disputed by the government.