Civil servants set upon over excess compensate plans

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Standing outside the building she usually protects, a Parliament security officer held aloft a placard asking the man inside to keep his end of the bargain.

"Theyve ripped up my contract," she said, asking not be named so as not to jeopardise her job further. "Whereas Ive stuck to it for the past five years."

Hundreds of civil servants stood in Parliament Square today ready to greet Alistair Darling on his way to deliver a budget that could slash their redundancy payments.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said that two-thirds of its 300,000 members took part in a 24-hour nationwide strike, which followed a two-day walkout on March 8 and 9.

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Disruption was expected in Jobcentres, prisons, benefit offices and 999 call centres.

Under the new system due to be implemented in April, civil servants earning 30,000 or less will be entitled to a maximum of three years pay or 60,000 whichever is lower regardless of length of service. It is estimated that some could lose up to 20,000.

"Were quite disgusted that were being sailed down the river," said an anonymous Scotland Yard security guard. "I hope Alistair Darling enjoys the dole queue."

"Its outrageous," said a Home Office policy official. "That deal has been in place for years. It was a phantom redundancy package that was never intended to be used."

Mr Darlings car slipped largely unnoticed past the pickets and through Carriage Gate.

It managed to dodge the "battle bus" from which a dozen members of the PCS chanted. The strains of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot could be heard echoing off the surrounding buildings.

Claire Keenan, 46, a Revenue and Customs officer, insisted that avoiding redundancies altogether would be a saving to the public purse.

Holding aloft a placard reading "Stop cheating on us, Darling" and wearing a mask depicting the Chancellors face, she said: "Theyre cutting jobs from the people who bring the money in. We bring thousands and thousands of pounds in a year each. We could go some way to reducing the tax gap."

Almost a mile away about 20 gallery workers stripped off their Tate Modern badges and stood behind the South Bank wearing fluorescent tabards and waving yellow PCS flags.

"Weve got 30 members were quite strong," said Yvonne Marson, 57, a gallery assistant. "The galleries are closed. Theyve only three or four workers. They wont be able to open."

At the gates of the Royal Courts of Justice, Ruby Burrows, 40, a union representative and court clerk, said that the public and legal professionals walking through the main doors had shown their support.

"The Ministry of Justice are expecting a significant likelihood of cuts in the year ahead," she said. "Were not responsible for the recession. They didnt tear up the bankers contracts but theyre tearing up ours. Were really angry."

Protesters were also due outside the Welsh Senedd and the Mound in Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, the Parliament Square protesters slowly peeled off and made their way to the Thames where a boat was waiting to take them on a more nautical protest, accompanied by a jazz band.