Crowds gathered in Blackburn town centre in response to proposed legislation which looks to curtail industrial action, on a huge day of strikes across teaching, the railways and civil service.
Blackburn and District Trades Union Council organised the 'Protect the Right to Strike' demonstration outside the town hall on Wednesday.
It coincided with action by teachers, rail workers, civil servants, university lecturers, bus drivers and security guards from seven trade unions, who walked out in disputes over pay, jobs and conditions.
Members of the TUC, NEU, PCS, ASLEF took part with organisers, saying the Government is 'proposing legislation to undermine the impact of strikes in some sectors' and 'pass a law that will allow employers to dictate to individuals that they must work even when they are in dispute'.
They also spoke about the ongoing plight of a range of public sector workers.
Earlier in the day railway workers were outside Blackburn Station, which remained open but with much reduced services.
The demonstration at the town hall was attended by teachers and public sector workers from across Lancashire.
Speakers included CWU Regional Secretary Carl Webb, Jenny Pollard from the PCS, Andrew Pratt from the NEU, the RMT's Julie Summers, Bob Welham of the GMB, and Trades Council members.
Blackburn and District Trades Union Council President, Vikki Dugdale, said: “We had a great turn out and it was great to see so many people brave the cold weather and wonderful to see so many unions represented.
“People need to realise that it is not about supposed ‘greedy’ public sector workers but about the services the public receive.
“We have a lot of low-paid workers who have not had a proper pay rise for 10 years."
Lauren Entwistle (pictured), a secondary schoolteacher, was at the protest.
She said: "I'm here because the Government are not funding any of the pay rises, or giving teachers what they deserve.
"Schools are suffering; there are gaps in children's education [following the pandemic] and we are still expected to catch them up and do the same levels of work.
"We are working evenings, weekends, with no extra pay, and the resources we can access in school are plummeting."
Ian and Graham who outside Blackburn Town Hall
Ian Thomson, a primary school teacher in Darwen, said teachers feel undervalued and the work pressures are causing teachers to quit the profession in their droves.
He said: "We're working hard to get children's learning back up to where it should be after Covid, and putting in extra hours.
"The Government just don't seem to care. We are putting in this extra effort and they just ignore our requests.
"Schools are struggling with their budgets and class sizes just keep getting bigger."
On why he has taken strike action, Mr Thomson said: "We want a fully funded budget and wages to match inflation, that would make us start to feel valued by the Government.
"But these wage rises cannot come out of existing school budgets, we need extra money on top.
"Schools are struggling to retain staff and people are leaving in their droves because the money is not worth the amount of work we do.
"If they give us the funding we are requesting, more children will get the education they deserve."
Graham Hadwin, a teacher in Blackburn, said the strikes are ultimately about providing a better education for pupils.
He said: "It's tough for teachersat the moment, the amount of hours worked and we get so little back from the Government in resources.
"Anything extra comes out of existing school budgets rather than additional money.
"It's been like this for years and years and years, and there comes a time when we have to say 'no' and stick up for ourselves.
"Teachers, we tend to say yes and crack on and go out of our way to make things work but sometimes we have to think about ourselves as well as the children.
"It is all about providing better education for children.”
Blackburn MP Kate Hollern was unable to attend the rally but sent a message of support.
She said: “I fully support your actions and will always stick up for the rights of our workers.
"We cannot let the Government take away people’s hard fought rights. They must be stopped.”
Protestors heard from a number Union representatives
Children and families attended the protest
Pies were handed out to those who braved the cold windy weather
Earlier in the day members of ASLEF were outside Blackburn Railway Station
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