16:12 Environment Agency staff have been picketing outside their Knutsford Road offices. A spokesman said plans were in place to cover key operational roles during the industrial action.
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15:58 VIDEO ADDED
15:38 David Cameron told MPs only 40% of schools have closed nationally - compared to more than 80% in Warrington. He said other disruption was not as widespread as unions claimed. He added that changes to public sector pensions were ‘absolutely essential’ and the offer made by the Government was ‘very reasonable and very fair’.
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15:20 Bob Pinnock GMB branch secretary says: "None of the money paid into the pensions will go to the people paying it, it'll all go straight to the Exchequer. The numbers of people out here today show how strongly people feel about the matter. I hope it will make a difference."
Jackie French from the GMB Union adds: "I think members of the private sector are unaware of the future - the amount of cuts that are going to be made will be horrendous, and people do not understand how bad it will be."
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15:05
Protestors in Warrington 
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15:03 Paramedic Andrew Carter tells Warrington Guardian : “You could have an ambulance responding to a call with 68-year-old paramedics which is unsuitable and the next person to need that ambulance could be the ambulance crew themselves.”
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14: 59 Jaci Walker, a Unite representative and social worker, said: “A lot of people have never been on a demonstration and picket line in their life until now. It’s clear people want to send a message. Far more women than men are going to be hit by this.”
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14:34 Police estimate between 700 and 800 people joined the town centre march in Warrington.
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14:11 Bosses at Network Warrington successfully won a last minute injunction to stop its staff from joining the strike. They took the Unite union to the High Court on Monday after ‘inconsistencies’ in the ballot papers sent out.
It is understood around 35 of the 270 employees returned their ballot papers with around 25 voting in favour of joining the action. Managing director David Squire said the strike was called off on Tuesday and all staff reported for work this morning.
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13:52 Protestors in Warrington town centre 
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13:47 Cheshire Police are urging residents to only use 999 appropriately as resources are relocated due to the strike. Some officers will do desk jobs as control room operators, forensic staff, community support officers, and custody and helpdesk staff take part in the demonstration.
Assistant Chief Constable Janette McCormick said: "The Constabulary recognises the right of police staff to take industrial action, and the impact that may have on certain policing activity. if you need the police in an emergency, we will be there. However, other services may be reduced as we focus on our prioritised areas, and the public can assist by postponing non urgent business to another day."
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13:38 John Rimmer, national president of NASUWT, said: "We are standing up for standards that protect children and the state system of education. The people the Government are hurting is the children. We are trying to send a message they are not acting fairly. We are talking about ensuring there is a fair education system for our children and their aspirations for the future. That is worth one day of inconvenience.” ____________________
13:03 Prime Minister David Cameron has claimed industrial action involving public sector workers across the country was "looking like something of a damp squib". ____________________
12:32 Lee Jones, chair of the Daresbury Laboratory branch of the Prospect union, is with protestors at the Town Hall.
He said: “Daresbury is the home of a growing science and innovation where discoveries are being turned into products generating profits and jobs. The Government is looking to us to come up with ideas that businesses exploit to build knowledge on which the country’s future prosperity rests. And how are we treated? Like second class citizens. Our pay is frozen, our jobs insecure and now our future downgraded.”
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12:20 72 schools are closed in Warrington today. Beth Purnell, division secretary for teacher’s union the NUT, said: “We are here to defend our pensions. We don’t want to be teaching when we’re 68, we want new, fresh blood to come in to the profession, people who can keep in touch with children. Pension changes will put people off from coming in to the profession. because they won’t get a fair deal. “We are doing this for the younger generation coming through.”
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12:01 Hundreds of public sector workers have begun marching through Warrington town centre. A rally is due to start at the Town Hall at 1pm.
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11:36 Warrington Crown Court is closed all day, with no cases being heard. Probation staff have also joined a picket line at their Academy Street offices.
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11:32: Jason Horan adds: "“We are hoping the ministers will realise what impact this is having and come back to the table and have meaningful conversations. “We’re not saying there doesn’t need to be change. In the current climate there has to be changes but it’s how you change things. “We don’t think there’s any need to increase contributions. “It is not as if the extra money would go in the pension fund but it is not, the Government are going to get their hands on it." ____________________
11:21 Jason Horan, joint branch secretary of Unison in Warrington, said there was a three quarter turn out – strong feelings among all ranges of offices and ranks.
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11:02 Unions say early indications show the walkout is being solidly supported and predicted that November 30 would go down in history as the biggest day of industrial action since the 1979 Winter of Discontent.
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10:10, Bank Quay picket: Staff from the Department for Work and Pensions are manning a picket line outside their office at Hilden House. Nicola Bolderstone said: “We are going to be paying more to get less. How are you supposed to support yourself after you retire? There are 600 people in this building, if I’m paying an extra £20-£30 a month how much is that going to be out of Warrington’s economy? They only way people can cope with the expense is to spend less."
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10:01, Town Hall picket: Pam Howard, joint branch secretary of Unison, said: “It’s not just to protect the pensions of people now but for future generations and to keep people out of poverty in their old age. People are having to work longer and longer. A lot of people working for the council are doing manual jobs, it’s not fair making them work longer.”
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9:49 comment from Pauline McEwan on Facebook: " I am only on a low wage with the government and they are now going to make me pay more into my pension but give me less back. The 1% pay rise will be less than the rate of inflation and I'll only get 0.4% of it as my contributions to my pension will be the rest so basically I am getting no pay rise.
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9:25 Staff at the Enivronment Agency are holding a picket outside their Knutsford Road offices. A spokesman said: “The Environment Agency has key responsibilities on flood defence, tackling and preventing pollution and business regulation. We have plans in place to cover key operational roles during the industrial action on Wednesday.“
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8:15 Police say emergency calls WILL be answered
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