10/07/2014 BBC News at Six

Public-sector workers go out on strike in what's thought to be

the biggest day of industrial action for three years.

There have been rallies around the UK, though the Government says most

teachers, fire-fighters and council staff have turned up for work.

I am very angry, I have been teaching for 27 years, I have never

known this before, it has affected our pensions, our pay, and I have to

think about my family. My son is not at school, my daughter is, but it is

inconvenient, I have work I need to do.

We'll be looking at how disruptive the day has been and

the likelihood of future strikes. Also tonight.

Emergency legislation is rushed through Parliament to allow the

police and security services access to our phone and internet records.

Israel and Palestinian militants trade airstrikes

and rocket attacks as the violence increases and the death toll rises.

Why dishing out free school meals could lead to primary

schools getting less money to help poor children in England.

And, bored with the World Cup? Well, limber up for the

Commonwealth Games. An inquest jury finds that failures

contributed to the death of Cherry Groce, whose shooting by

police triggered the Brixton riots. And, could the Mayor take

a safe Tory seat, as a London MP Good evening,

and welcome to the BBC News At Six. Strikes are taking place

across the UK in a series of disputes with the Government

over pay, pensions and cuts. One union claims over

a million public-sector workers have walked out.

The Government says it's half that. Schools in England and Waless.

In what's thought to be the biggest round of industrial action

for three years, teachers joined fire-fighters and civil servants

in rallies and on the picket line. But a Government spokesman says most

public-sector staff have reported for work

and nearly all key public services are being delivered as usual.

It was billed as one of the biggest strikes in years. Here in Birmingham

and around the UK, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers

lost a day's earnings to protest over pay, pensions and cuts to

services. In London, several thousand workers turned out. There

were demonstrations in Cardiff as well. This was the scene in

Newcastle. Thousands of people linked in their opposition to the

cuts. The cuts in services, we are public sector workers, we cannot

provide the services, we are understaffed, so we have had enough.

We are campaigning for a decent wage, what we are entitled for for

the work we do. The government are putting lives in danger. At the

heart of the strike, the issue of public sector pay and the situation

in local government, where workers have had a pay freeze and then a 1%

pay cap since last year. Unions insist the vast majority of the

workers are around ?2000 worst off since the coalition came in. Chris

Black was on strike today. She works for Somerset County Council and is

also a union branch secretary. She says her ?16,000 a year salary has

increased by just ?400 in three years. Whenever it gets towards the

end of the month, I am counting the pennies, trying to make the

decision, do I have enough for petrol to get me to and from work?

Have I got enough petrol to get me to and from work?

for my daughter? The government insists pay restraint has saved

thousands of jobs and protected services. Today it condemned the

strikes, calling the action irresponsible. When unions go on

strike, it is hard working people who suffer the consequences most.

Formal ball people who depend on public services, parents who are

forced to take a day off work or arrange childcare because their

school is closed, these strikes risk damaging those who are working hard

to get this country moving again. The key is to prevent further

strikes and further disruption happening. When the government is

ramping up the rhetoric against public service workers, womanising

them even more, I do not public service workers, womanising

is the answer -- be memorising them. Should cancel workers be able to

take action after low turnouts? I believe we deserve a living wage.

Wages have not increased significantly to meet the cost of

living. I have seen disruption reported on the news, it is not

right you should in danger the people due are meant to be standing

up for. There is already talk of two further strike days in September. It

will be business as usual at councils tomorrow, but this dispute

is not going away. The strike closed schools in England

and Wales as members of the National Union

of Teachers stayed away from work. The strike has meant some parents

having to take the day off to look after their children.

This was the site at many schools across England and Wales, classrooms

closed, playgrounds and T. Thousands of teachers and support staff stayed

away, forcing some schools to shut. Not an easy decision, according to

this headteacher and union member. Our teachers are superbly

professional, most of the teachers are, they are dedicated and do an

excellent job, but they feel that their professionalism is constantly

undermined. Like others on strike, teachers are protesting over wages.

There will be a new pay system from September. They are also angry at

having to work for longer and make higher pension contributions, and at

their heavy workloads. For the parents affected by the strikes,

closed schools meant major disruption. It has been a total

inconvenience, I have had to take a day's holiday. I do not get a lot of

holidays, 22 days a year. For other parents, it was business as usual.

Some schools were not affected, others partially closed. Just one

teaching union is on strike today, so some schools have had to close

the classes taught by teachers in that union. Others have stayed open.

My son is not at school, my daughter is, which is inconvenient. I have

work that I need to do. It is not great. What did you think about the

idea that teachers have gone out? It is shocking that they are paid so

little that they need to strike. It is also about anger at education

reforms, including changes to the curriculum and growth of academies

and free schools. The man in charge is unabashed. Those on strike do not

represent the majority of teachers or the future of education. They are

trying to defend a particular set of conditions and an approach towards

pay that does not put children first. The government says its

reforms are improving standards, despite tough economic times. But

with such fundamental differences about what is right for education

and the wider public sector, there is no easy end to this ongoing

dispute. At least one union and the

government coming up with different figures, how do you assess the

impact of the day's action? Here and elsewhere, we saw a lot of people on

strike, but it is always difficult to get a grip on it, and there are

differing views on the numbers and impact. Unions insist there were

more than 1 billion people on strike, but the Cabinet Office has

reported that, insisting it was less than half a million, and it said

that would be the lowest recorded turnout of a national strike. But

there could be more to come, there is talk of two more strike dates in

September, and the possible of the of health workers joining industrial

action, which could become even bigger in the autumn.

Emergency legislation to ensure the police

and security services can continue to access phone and internet records

is being rushed through Parliament. All three Westminster parties

are backing the new law. The Government says urgent action is

needed to protect the public from criminals and terrorists.

But civil-liberties campaigners have warned it

will invade people's privacy. Who did you call last year? Who did

you text and e-mail? When did you do it? Where were you? That is not just

your business, say the police and security services, it is theirs.

They say they need the data to keep you safe. The headlines, emergency

legislation has been drawn up with all-party support. At 8am, the

Cabinet was summoned to Downing Street to be told that the three

main party leaders had agreed that an emergency new law was needed. Two

hours later, the Prime Minister and his deputy, who in the past have

disagreed over these issues, faced the media to make their case

together. We face real and credible threats to our security, from

serious or as a, the activity of paedophiles, the collapse of Syria,

the growth of Isis in Iraq and al-Shabab in East Africa. I am not

prepared to address the people after a terror incident and explained that

I could have done more to prevent it. The powers they are asking for

have already been used to help find the killers of Rhys Jones, to help

stop the terror plot to grow -- blow up planes. But now, a problem. The

judges in Europe ruled three months ago that the EU law under which

these operations were carried out is no longer legal. Companies like

Vodafone boast they protect their customers' privity. Ministers fear

that if the law is unclear, they would face pressure to destroy the

data they now hold. But why, many ask, does a new law need to be

passed in just one week? Does history not want us to be suspicious

of politicians who say, we all agree, there is an emergency, we

have to legislate in Hayes, do not worry, it is all going to be fine? I

am not asking for new powers and capabilities, I am saying we need to

legislate rapidly to keep those capabilities and powers that we

have. Nick Clegg says he has insisted on safeguards. We have

inserted a poisoned pill into the legislation, it will form -- fall in

2016. It is not permanent. We told the powers will not give the state

new to read our messages or to listen in to our cause. The

politicians are under pressure from the police and the security services

to take that step in future. But thanks to the revelations of this

man, Edward Snowden, the politicians face pressure to sleep less and to

be more transparent about what they are doing -- snoop less. We have

engaged in detailed discussions to ensure that the right safeguards are

in place, because they need to be safeguards when it comes to these

kind of issues. The party leaders may agree for now, but backbenchers

on both sides are worried by the rush to action. British people are

not stupid and not ideological. Why can they not have time to discuss it

with their elected preservatives? Whatever happens next week, the

debate about who should be able to read and listen to what has a long

way to run. Israel is continuing its campaign

of air strikes on the Palestinian territory of Gaza, amid further

rocket attacks into Israel from Palestinian militants there.

After three days of increased hostilities, the death toll in Gaza

has risen to over 80, according to health officials there.

There've been no Israeli fatalities over the same period.

Israel said today it would no longer tolerate what it called the storm

of rockets being fired into Israel by Hamas.

Hamas, the militant group which controls

Gaza, insists an Israeli blockade that restricts the movement of goods

into the territory must be lifted. In this refugee camp, the bodies

kept coming today. This was the funeral of this family. A mother and

a father killed, we are told, alongside their six children. They

were asleep in their beds when the Israeli air strike hit. Flattening

their home. There was little left to salvage. In total, 17 people were

killed. The worst night so far for Gaza. They did not warn us, says the

neighbour, it was the first time they have hit a house without any

warning. The Israeli military usually gives advanced notice of an

attack. If they did here, the family did not receive it. It is not yet

clear why Israel bombed this particular site. Here, families

clear why Israel bombed this cheek by jowl. There may only have

clear why Israel bombed this been one target, but these were the

homes to six separate families, and all of them have been destroyed.

Israel says it is investigating what happened. There is anger.

Israel says it is investigating what to destroy all Palestinians.

Israel says it is investigating what can save this land, because this is

our land. Overnight, Hamas continue to attack Israel. Since midnight,

our land. Overnight, Hamas continue home. It

our land. Overnight, Hamas continue playroom. The family were not home.

When the sirens sound, Israelis run for cover. Hamas rockets are

reaching further and deeper into for cover. Hamas rockets are

country. As long as they keep coming, Israel says it will keep

hitting Gaza. It blames Hamas for any civilian casualties. Israel is

taking great measures to avoid harming innocent civilians. Defence

forces warned Palestinians in Gaza of imminent strikes. At the same

time, Hamas instructs of imminent strikes. At the same

on the roof of those buildings and act as human shields. Israeli tanks

began taking up positions near Gaza today. The air and sea campaign has

already been costly for civilians. The ground invasion, if it comes,

would be even deadlier. Teachers, firefighters and council

staff go on strike over pay and changes to their pensions but the

government says most of the public And coming up, I am at Celtic Park.

It is still a construction site but hundreds of people are transforming

this football stadium into the venue for the opening ceremony of the

Commonwealth Games. Later on BBC London, a second smash and grab at

the Dorchester in the space of a month, is Rob is once again

month, again as robbers once again raid the luxury hotel. And handing

over the reins to the new owner, we hear from the Italian now in charge

It's a form of modern day slavery, otherwise known as forced labour.

Millions of men, women and children are made to work against their will

for little or no pay. The UN's International Labour

million people worldwide in forced labour.

even though the practice has been illegal for nearly 40 years.

Our correspondent, Humphrey Hawksley,

reports from the village of Pipalguda in the Indian state of

he is 19 and learning to manage life with only one hand. He has worked

since childhood and his family barely scrapes a living. One day,

last December, he was offered a job that would cost him his right hand.

TRANSLATION: When I went for work, I thought I would earn some money. Of

course, if I knew what would happen, I would not have gone. This is the

job he was being taken to, a family for bricks, used to build offices,

skyscrapers, call centres, the gleaming face of modern India.

Activists have compiled so many reports of violence against workers

that they call them blood bricks. He tried to run away and was kidnapped.

What unfolded next is an all too common story of poverty, modern-day

slavery and the global economy. They laughed at me and made me decided I

want to lose my life, my laughed at me and made me decided I

hand. In desperation, I set my hand. They cut it off with an axe, just

like a chicken's head. It turns out that the man who approached him for

work comes from a nearby village. So we are going to try and find him. He

is a Labour contractor who has been charged and is out on bail. He

admits recruiting the man but says he was not there when his hand was

severed. TRANSLATION: I want to say sorry so we can live together as

neighbours. The kidnapping, the torture, the beating of people. You

were involved in all of that. No, sir, I was not involved in the

violence. I know nothing about it. But this man is far from alone. He

tells his ordeal to 150 others in a two-year recovery programme run by a

charity. All have similar stories of rape, beatings and threats. Many are

children with government certificate saying they are now free. As part of

the counselling, they relived their work with bricks. An estimated 10

million people in India are bonded labourers, or slaves. History now is

to start his own family, but with no right-hand finding a wife will be

difficult. Just one young man with one story from India's trade in

bricks. Metropolitan Police Commissioner,

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, has "apologised unreservedly"

for the shooting of Cherry Groce, Mrs Groce, whose shooting triggered

the Brixton riots in 1985, was shot by police who were looking

for her son, Michael. With me now is She was paralysed

from the waist down, A jury at Southwark Coroner's Court

found the raid on her house should never have taken place, and police

failures contributed to her death. People might find it astonishing

that it has taken three decades for the family to find out what went

wrong. This is quite a significant moment, this was a shooting that not

only caused riots in the area but it scarred a whole community and

tarnished the reputation of the Metropolitan Police. Here we have a

full apology from the Police Commissioner Thomas Sir Bernard

Hogan-Howe, not just for what happened, but also he is saying it

is inexcusable that it has taken his force so long to make that apology,

and he has admitted that there were failings, that the raid should not

have gone ahead. The catalyst for this is the inquest that has

concluded today, and the jury found there were eight police failings

that contributed to the death of Cherry Groce. There will certainly

be questioned at Scotland Yard is to why it has taken so long but today

at least the family have got the apology that they wanted.

The introduction of free school meals for all infant

school children in England is supposed to help poorer parents

But Head Teachers are concerned that an unforeseen consequence is that it

could lead to a reduction in other government funding

At Ash Green primary in Halifax, they take pride in taking free

school meals. As a result, the child gets additional money from the

government, known as pupil premium. At this school, pupil premium money

has had a huge impact, it was partly used to pay for this adventure

playground. Here, 60% of children are eligible for free school meals,

and as a result the school received nearly a quarter of ?1 million of

extra funding. From September, all four to seven-year-olds will be

entitled to free school meals but even so parents receiving benefits

will still have to register to attract the pupil premium funding.

Worried that some may not see the need to sign up, the head has made

extra efforts to help them. It actually gives you a real kick start

as a school, we don't sort it out with the parents the children will

suffer ultimately. How can we make the parents understand and see the

value of doing this, and also to help to fill the forms in. Research

shows that some parents are worried about losing funding. Head teachers

say government departments should pool information on benefits to

remove the responsibility from parents. If a government has got the

information about who gets these benefits, then they should be able

to share that date with local authorities, so that the schools are

told -- to share that data, rather than having to go through these

hurdles. Here in Halifax, parents have been keen to sign up. It is

confusing, I think every school should guide the parents like this

school has done. If the parents are knowing they are getting help for

the child, it is their education, so they are learning, and not just

getting the free school meals. They have a wider range of experiences

through the pupil premium, paying for the trips, and I think it brings

them further on in their education. This class went on a school trip

with pupil premium money. The government says that with ?1300 per

child at stake next year, there is a strong incentive for parents to

register. There are now 13 days to go

before the start of the Thousands of elite athletes from 71

nations and territories will join with volunteers and spectators for

a festival of sport and culture. We can go live to Celtic Park,

the venue for the opening ceremony, and our Scotland Correspondent

Lorna Gordon. Normally these seats would be packed

with tens of thousands of fans watching a game of football, but

tonight this stadium is full of hundreds of workers putting the

finishing touches to the trans-formation of this stadium,

head of the opening ceremony. You might be able to see behind me a

huge electronic screen, which stretches the entire width of the

stadium. The work here is on time, it is on schedule, head of the

rehearsals of the opening ceremony, which gets underway here next week.

At a secret location in Glasgow, hundreds of people are giving up

hours of their time every day. They are the cast for the opening

ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Energetic, enthusiastic and

committed, and for some it has not been without its challenges. It is

getting my been without its challenges. It is

coordinate with each other! My feet are all in one direction, my arms in

the other direction, but I fail spectacularly, it is brilliant, it

really is. This is where they will be performing. What looks like a

dance floor now sits across the pitch. Work is still ongoing to

transform this stadium into a celebration of the Commonwealth.

Some small details about the show are being revealed, but not many.

Some small details about the show Well, ceremonies usually have a set

formula, they have a creative element and a bit of protocol.

This, we have mixed it all up in a element and a bit of protocol.

different way, so it is going to be a surprise. There was some

different way, so it is going to be Scottish imagery at the

different way, so it is going to be ceremony. Four years later, they

want to include the story of the host city as well. It is an

attitude, I know it is a slogan, people make Glasgow, but it must

have been the easiest to come up with because it is true. These have

been billed as the friendly games of the friendly city, and after years

of running and months of work, it is less than two weeks now until the

show gets underway. It has been gorgeous in Glasgow, a

real day of contrast, 24 degrees, 25 down in Bournemouth, but 14 under

that cloud. That is only half the story, there has been some really

intense rain, but this weather front is very active, so we are seeing in

the storms and half an inch of rain, ten to 15 millimetres falling in the

space of an hour. Also a keen wind to go with it, so clearly quite

miserable if you are out on the roads, because we have a lot of

spray and standing water. Overnight, we pick up some mist and

fog near the east coast. It could be rather grey. Any fault in the land

should clear fairly quickly, but it will be quite drab navvies coat --

near the east coast. Not a bad day actually, brighter for Northern

Ireland, if you sharp showers there at the moment, fewer tomorrow.

Lovely weather again across Scotland, still some sunshine across

parts of North West England and Wales. Just enough moisture left to

give us a few sharp showers during tomorrow afternoon. Still quite

muddy, 22 degrees, -- still quite muggy. Then we have a change, our

Atlantic weather system coming through. Most of the rain in the

West on Saturday. Saturday night, it will push its way eastwards, start

to fear out of the way. Behind it, a few more sharp showers into Sunday

afternoon, but brightening up and freshening up for the West was that

not a bad end to the weekend for many but still some disturbed