Updated: Teachers' strike today

Across South Essex teachers, college lecturers Coastguards, Jobcentre and pensions staff, and other public sector workers are picketing outside workplaces in a row over unfair pay.

Unison members will be protesting outside a Southend Council meeting at 6pm tonight against a 2.45 per cent pay offer.

National Union of Teachers are leading the teachers walkout which has closed and part closed many schools across south Essex.

Jerry Glazier of the NUT said "There has been a significant impact on schools."

The Public and Commercial Services union organised their strike to coincide with the NUT's Around 40 PCS members are striking at Southend's Jobcentre and a group held a picket line outside.

They are limited to a one per cent pay increase per year with none at all for some staff.

Laura Martin, national vice president of PCS at the Department of Work and Pensions, said: "The public sector is being attacked in terms of cuts to pay, reduction in numbers and mass privatisation.

"The majority of people affected are women, a lot of single parents and people with disabilities who deserve fairer pay."

Up to 400,000 civil servants have walked out in separate disputes over pay.

Lecturers at Thurrock and Basildon College have joined thousands of teachers around the country in strike action to demand better pay.

They were among staff at 250 colleges who were balloted by the University and College Union.

The result showed 65 per cent supported industrial action.

UCU, with other further education unions, submitted a joint pay claim for a 6 per cent increase for 2008-9.

UCU spokesman Trevor Phillips said: "Our members in Basildon are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet as the public sector pay limits imposed by the Government mean, in reality, a pay cut.

"The UCU is also fighting for pay parity with schoolteachers, but our members pay remains on average around 15 per cent lower."

Sorry for striking

TEN teachers from a primary school have banded together to tell parents why they are taking strike action today.

The staff at Jotmans Hall Primary School in Benfleet said they regretted their actions, which forced the school to close as ten of the 12 teachers were on strike.

In a statement they said: "We regret the action we are taking.

"We are extremely proud of our school and all the children.

"We support our excellent headteacher and governing body.

"We are not striking solely for a pay increase. Fair pay for the job we do would be great, but never likely.

"If wages were our main priority we would not be teachers. We all became teachers because we enjoy working with children and feel passionately about their education and well-being.

"We believe a child's education is worth fighting for and they deserve high quality education.

"The day of action is the most powerful tool we have of saying enough is enough."

Here are the schools affected:

SOUTHEND

CLOSED

Bournes Green Infant, Thorpe Bay

Bournes Green Junior, Thorpe Bay

Fairways Primary, Leigh

Friars Primary, Shoebury

Hamstel Junior, Southend

Leigh Infant School

Leigh North Street Juniors

Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh

St Nicholas Special School, Southend

The Westborough School, Westcliff

Futures College, Southend

PART CLOSED

Blenheim Primary, Leigh

Darlinghurst Primary, Leigh

Earls Hall Junior, Westcliff

Eastwood Primary

Heycroft Primary, Eastwood

Milton Hall Primary, Westcliff

Porters Grange Primary, Southend

Prince Avenue Primary School, Westcliff

Priory School, Southend

Richmond Avenue Primary, Shoebury

St Mary's Church of England Primary, Southend

Thorpedene Junior School, Shoebury

West Leigh Infant School

Belfairs High School, Leigh

Cecil Jones College, Southend

Chase High School, Westcliff

Shoeburyness High School

Southend High School for Boys

Southend High School for Girls

St Bernard's School, Westcliff

St Thomas More High School, Westcliff

The Eastwood High School

Westcliff High School for Girls

ROCHFORD

CLOSED

Barling Magna primary school

Canewdon Primary

Holt Farm Infant School, Rochford

Riverside Junior school Hullbridge

Rochford Primary school

PART CLOSED

Edward Francis Infant school in Rayleigh

Great Wakering Primary School

Grove Wood primary school, Rayleigh

King Edmund School in Rochford

Fitzwimarc School in Rayleigh

Greensward College in Hockley

BASILDON

CLOSED

Castledon School, Wickford

Ghyllgrove Community Infant School, Basildon

Greenstead Infant School, Basildon

Janet Duke Junior School, Laindon

Pitsea Junior School, Pitsea

St Anne Line RC Infant School, Basildon

Whitemore Infants School, Basildon

Whitmore Junior School, Basildon

Billericay School

Chalvedon School, Basildon

Mayflower County High, Billericay

PART CLOSED

Abacus Primary School, Wickford

Millhouse Junior School, Laindon

Quilters Infant School, Billericay

South Green Infant School, Billericay

James Hornsby High School, Basildon

Phoenix Primary School, Laindon

CASTLE POINT

CLOSED

Canvey Island Infant School, Canvey

Kingston School, Thundersley

Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery, Canvey

Leigh beck Junior School, Canvey

Thundersley Primary School, Thundersley

Winter Gardens Infants, Canvey

Jotmans Hall Primary School, Benfleet

PART CLOSED

Furtherwick Park School, Canvey

King John School, Thundersley

Castle View School, Canvey

Cornelius Vermuyden, Canvey

South Benfleet Foundation Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Canvey

THURROCK

CLOSED

Abbots Hall Primary School, Stanford Le Hope

Bonnygate Primary School, South Ockendon

Chafford Hundred Campus - Primary, Grays

Shaw Primary School, South Ockendon

Stifford Clays Infant School, Grays

Stifford Clays Junior School, Grays

Thameside Infant School, Grays

PART CLOSED

Arthur Bugler Junior School, Stanford

Beacon Hill School School, South Ockendon

Chafford Hundred Business and Enterprise School

East Tilbury Infant School

Gable Hall School, Corringham

Giffards Primary School, Corringham

Grays Convent High School

Hassenbrook School, Stanford

Herringham Primary School, Chadwell St Mary

Holy Cross School, South Ockendon

Lansdowne Primary School, Tilbury

Little Thurrock Primary School

Manor Infant & Nursery School

Orsett C of E Primary School

Quarry Hill Infant School, Grays

Quarry Hill Junior School, Grays

St Clere's School, Stanford

St Thomas of Canterbury School, Grays

Stanford Le Hope Primary School

Stifford Primary School, Grays

Thameside Junior School, Grays

Belhus Chase School, Aveley

The Grays School

Tudor Court Primary School, Chafford Hundred

Warren Primary School, Chafford Hundred

West Thurrock Primary School

William Edwards School, Grays

Woodside Primary School, Grays