Why are workers striking?

The mass walkout was mainly due to a planned shake-up of pensions for public sector workers.

There’s no way around it.

The Government must change the pension system because more of us are living longer and taking more out of the pot.

If it carries on, the public sector pension system will eventually run dry. Up until now many public sector workers, such as teachers and civil servants, have been able to draw their pension at 60 and the amount they get depends on their final salary.

PM David Cameron wants to increase the retirement age to 66 and base their pensions on their “average” rather than “final” salary.

Under current rules, public sector workers pay 6.4 per cent of their wages in pension contributions.

The Government wants it to rise to 9.6 per cent by 2014.

So is this fair?

Those fighting the changes say workers have traditionally gone into the public sector knowing they would never be a “millionaire”, but would receive a good wage and a healthy pension in their old age.

Unions say the proposals will leave their members paying more and working longer for less, making the sector less attractive for employees.

On the flip side, those in favour of pension reforms say the once big divide between public and private sector salaries is cnow almost non-existent. Private and public sector workers get, on average, the same pay.

Yet private sector workers have to fork out between 15 and 40 per cent of their wages to get the same pension benefits as their public sector counterparts.

So ministers say they need to even things out. Changes to pensions would not affect those in the Armed Forces, police or fire service and public sector workers on low salaries will not be forced to pay more out for their pensions.

Will there be more strikes?

There are no official plans yet, but more walkouts are being threatened for the autumn.

Unison, which represents 1.3 million people working for local councils, the NHS, colleges and the police, was not part of this latest strike action, but leaders have hinted they may yet stage walkouts.