Lewisham and Greenwich public sector strikes bring schools closures, sickies and Millwall charity abuse

Along with picket lines and protests, campaigners in New Cross urged people to throw a sickie and join a street party while Millwall’s community scheme was blasted for providing sports activities on strike day.

Teachers from Greenwich converged on the Cutty Sark as the focal point for their protests before heading along the river to join the central London protests by public sector workers against cuts to pensions.

Their strike meant 47 schools in the borough were closed, with 24 partially open and just 15 fully open.

It was a similar story in Lewisham with 50 out of 89 closed.

Lewisham branch secretary Martin Powell-Davies said: “Cutting our pensions won’t help save anybody else’s job or restore private pensions. If the government succeed, it will only encourage them to carry on cutting everything else as well.”

The unionist also blasted Millwall community scheme workers as “strike-breakers” for providing sports activities at St Winifred’s Junior School in Lee.

Scheme director Dave King said the organisation, which runs coaching at the school four times a week, had its phones jammed by “bullying and abusive” callers after Mr Powell-Davies slammed the plans on Twitter Mr King said: “We’re shocked and ashamed by these people and their attitudes.

“We’re a charitable organisation - our job is to provide activities and opportunities for our community.

“We’re not a political organisation. This is a school that spends thousands of pounds with us every year.

“We’re not strike-breakers.”

Outside Goldsmiths, groups of anti-cuts protestors gathered around a soundsystem and staged a streetside tea party.

But rumours that rapper Tinie Tempah would grace the event - advertised on Facebook with the advice “If you don’t want trouble from your boss, call in sick” - proved wide of the mark.