Millions Walk Out In Protest Over Pensions

Sky News

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Public sector workers are marching through cities across the UK in protest over planned Government changes to pensions - but disruption to services has so far been less than expected.

Around 15,000 people are taking part in a demo in Manchester  , according to Greater Manchester Police, while thousands also took to the streets in London.

Approximately 3,000 turned out for a march and rally in Cardiff city centre.

More than 1,000 rallies and demonstrations in total are scheduled to take place in various locations across the UK.

Metropolitan Police indicated 37 people had been arrested in London. 

Meanwhile, contingency plans at major airports, transport hubs and hospitals have swung into action, minimising the effect of the walkouts.

Frantic efforts to cover border agency staff at major airports including Heathrow saw a "significant" number of civil servants volunteering to provide cover and no queues were reported.

Hospital staff and workers on the Mersey tunnels were among the first to take action from midnight on Wednesday, setting up picket lines and displaying banners and posters attacking the Government's pension reforms.

Courts, government offices, schools, jobcentres, driving tests and ports have all also been hit in what was originally billed as the biggest day of industrial action since the 1979 Winter  of Discontent.

During Prime Minister's questions, David Cameron described the strike as a "damp squib".

He said most key services were still open and that less than a third of civil servants joined the day of action.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude thanked what he said were the "large majority" who turned up to work as normal.

He hit out at those on strike, saying the action was "irresponsible, inappropriate and untimely".

He added that the pension on offer to public service workers was something that "most of the private sector could only dream of".

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC Congress defended the strike action, telling Sky News it was "unfair" to single out public service workers for "economic punishment".

"An awful lot of public service workers are saying they feel they are being treated with real injustice by the Government trying to force through unfair changes to their pensions.

"That message is going to come across loud and clear today.

"We do face difficult times in our economy and that has been made worse by bad Government decisions, because this relentless focus on austerity is making our economy worse, not better.

"Treating public service workers this way and singling them out for this economic punishment is unfair at a time when people who caused this crisis are still paying themselves lavish bonuses and tax loopholes are still being exploited by the wealthiest and corporate Britain."

The Government has meanwhile warned unions that today's national action will "achieve nothing".

It has said the funding of public sector pensions is unsustainable and wants to raise the retirement age and bring in career average pensions, which can be less lucrative than final salary schemes.

Chancellor George Osborne said: "The strike is not going to achieve anything, it's not going to change anything.

"It is only going to make our economy weaker and potentially cost jobs."

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was "not going to condemn" those who had chosen to go on strike because "they feel they have been put in an impossible position by a government which has refused to negotiate properly, imposed a 3% tax rise on the lowest paid workers in country and has been ramping up the rhetoric in recent weeks."

The Government had to accept responsibility, he added. 

But workers insist they have no choice but to take action over pension changes which would see them work longer, pay more and receive less in retirement.

Refuse supervisor Phil Lane from Sefton will be marching and said: "Me and my colleagues are firm. Make no mistake, this day is needed to make the Government change its mind."

Having worked for the council for 36 years, Mr Lane planned to retire in three years' time aged 62.

Under the changes, he said he will need to work for four more years and put more money in the pot.

But having just learned that after a two-year pay freeze he will now face a 1% wage rise cap, Mr Lane said extra payments will be almost impossible.

He said: "It's getting tighter for me to live and harder for me to pay my bills. One percent is actually nothing compared to the cost of living. Bread, milk, sugar, my leccy, my gas. It's all going up".

Thousands of parents have been forced to take time off work to care for their children with the Government expecting 75% of schools to close.

Mother and striking teacher Angela White said she did not want to walk out but has no choice. "We have to take a stand" she said, "for ourselves and the profession".

Ms White gave up a career as an accountant to become a teacher and is now wondering if she made a huge mistake.

She said: "I do wonder if I made the right decision. As an accountant I could make more money and have a better pension.

"And that does make me worry. I have children of my own and I want to support them through education. It's getting to be more and more of a struggle. And I do question my decision."

The walkout comes a day after Chancellor George Osborne revealed official growth forecasts have been slashed and admitted the Government is preparing in case Britain slides into a double-dip recession.

Smart strategies to get you through winter travel

By Elaine Porterfield

The ugly season of travel has arrived, with snowy runways, ice storms and other winter-weather related delays nearly certain to plague countless air passengers through the holidays and beyond. But, say experts, there are some smart strategies that can help make bad situations more workable for travelers, even if they can’t stop the snow.

It begins as early as purchasing your tickets. “When booking, when you can, book the earliest flight of the day,” said Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor for the Internet travel company Orbitz. “The reason being is that typically, the early morning flights are usually on time — those flights are already at the gate and have already been de-iced, so there’s no back up yet. Also, if your flight is canceled, you have a better chance of a flight out.”

It’s the snowball effect: As more and more flights are canceled throughout the day, competition becomes fiercer for rebooking the remaining open seats, she said. So if you were originally scheduled to fly out in the afternoon, but your flight is delayed or canceled, there’s a much greater chance you’ll have to wait until the next day for a flight because all the open seats will be gone.

Also, it may be worth the extra money during winter to book a nonstop flight, rather than one with connections, to minimize the possibility of weather delays, Tornatore said. And, if you have a choice, try to avoid connecting through regions that can be hard hit by storms; Denver, Chicago and Minneapolis come to mind, though these airports are usually pretty good at dealing with snow and ice, she said.

Winter travelers should carry smartphones with key selected apps for airlines or ticket services and important phone numbers loaded and ready to go should their flight get canceled, recommends Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView, a service that provides real-time flight information for travelers. At that point, everyone else will be headed to stand in line at the airline counter for service, something you should do also, just in case. But while that line is inching along, you can use your phone to rebook online because you've got that app waiting, Benjamin said. “Gate agents are pretty overwhelmed at that point, so I would use the phone. The online option is faster and gets you to what you want quicker. Once the problem arises, this is really a time to put your smart phone to test.”

Of course, you can also just call from your phone, but sometimes call centers can quickly become overwhelmed as well, he said. Tornatore agrees: Using your smart phone “can make the difference between getting one of the last few seats on the next flight versus potentially being stuck for the night.”

Another thing to keep in mind when buying a ticket is where you buy it, Benjamin said: “Back to planning ahead, it’s generally easier to rebook if you booked with the airline in the first place ... The airlines like to deal with tickets of their own.”

Have more than just apps for the airlines available, Tornatore said — make sure you have info about any car rentals and hotel reservations you may have made available on your phone. That way, if you are delayed, you can “let them know you’re going to be a day late so they don’t give away your room or car.”

Both experts say it’s important to remember that airlines don’t have an obligation to provide accommodations in the case of weather-related delays. This is where having the ability to book a hotel from your phone can also be of great help. “With weather cancellations, there are a lot of people scrambling to get in a hotel around the airport, so you should definitely download apps [to] find hotels near where you are, so you can purchase directly from your smartphone,” Tornatore said.

If you’re traveling to or from a sunny destination, don’t think you’re off the hook for weather problems, as storm delays can affect the whole system, delaying or preventing planes from traveling from one airport to another. That means it’s a good idea to sign up for any flight alert services available; at Orbitz, for example, passengers can choose voicemail, e-mail or text alerts on flight status. Most airlines offer similar services.

Which brings Tornatore and Benjamin to another important point: don’t put chargers for your electronics in checked baggage. You might be at the airport quite a while and need to power your phone.

“Always pack chargers in your carry on, medication you might need for you or your kids,” Tornatore said. “And I would even bring extra essentials for your kids, an extra change of clothes, easy and light.”

If you have a baby, carry formula and diapers to get you through 24 hours, and plenty of snacks, she added.

And most of all, stay calm, Benjamin said, because despite your best efforts, things might still go array: “It’s the weather that’s causing it. Life is too short to get upset about it.”

Air-passenger duty is pointless

Neil Faulkner

Air-passenger duty is one of the few extra costs that you can normally expect airlines to quote openly and up front, instead of infuriatingly tacking it on later. However, it is still a controversial charge, and a big one at that.

Governments past and present have ridden on the back of the huge international success of carriers easyJet and Ryanair. While the airlines have driven prices down and boosted tourism to and from the UK, politicians have raised the environmental tax on flights so high that they are the steepest in the world, according to British Airways chief Willie Walsh.

The tax is charged per seat and across four bands, roughly based on distance from London. Although it is the airline that is charged the tax, most carriers pass the cost on to customers.

Two economy passengers making a return trip to Europe or northern Africa will be asked to pay £48 in the air-passenger duty tax (APD). To the US and the Middle East and back costs £120, to and from Brazil or China costs £150 and if you go all the way to Australia it's £340 in this tax alone. Premium economy, first class and business class taxes cost twice as much to all destinations.

That can be quite kick in the teeth, especially when you add on the other extra costs that airlines charge after teasing you with flights costing a few pounds. For a return flight you might pay an extra £10-£15 for using your credit card, £60-£100 for two hold bags, £5 compulsory check-in fees, and admin fees on top.

Serious doubts about effectiveness of the tax

The APD tax was introduced in 1994 at just £5 to £10 in order to combat climate change. There are few who believe it has been successful in doing so, as flights and emissions continue to rise over the long term. This leads to the common gripe that the tax is more for the Treasury coffers than to reduce any man-made effect on global warming.

To tackle emissions, airlines are now going to have to join the European carbon-trading scheme, whereby heavy greenhouse-gas emitters must buy "carbon credits" from those who use less.

Even so, the UK Government intends to continue running the air-passenger duty tax even after airlines join the carbon-trading scheme. It is also possible that it will increase the tax further from April 2012, adding £8 per return economy flight and £30 for long-haul economy.

Meanwhile, Holland has already scrapped its APD and the Irish ruling coalition has promised the same, with other European countries scrapping the tax as the carbon-trading scheme takes effect.

If customers aren't maddened enough, some airlines will retrospectively pass on any increase in APD tax next year if you book your flight before the tax rise but fly afterwards. It's likely to affect at least 6.5 million travellers next year, according to Virgin Atlantic.

How the APD tax affects tourism

The Government took nearly £2 billion last year and charges almost ten times the European average, and 30 times higher than some European countries, according to the Telegraph campaign to abolish the tax. If increases go through, it could mean customers paying another £1 billion on top.

The Telegraph also published a letter denigrating the tax, signed by the heads of the British Air Transport Association, the Airport Operators Association, UK Inbound and the Association of British Travel Agents.

The heads of British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic have put aside their differences to write a letter to the Government telling them to scrap the tax, claiming it has a larger negative effect on the economy and jobs than the benefits it brings in taxes.

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh gave the most damning figures in a press conference, saying that as APD tax has risen in the past few years, passenger numbers have fallen by millions, while in the rest of Europe they have risen by tens of millions.

Despite the questionable tax, and all the other add-on charges we experience, I think that we should still remember that, overall, flying is still incredibly cheap, and that we live in amazing times. Overseas holidays used to be for the very rich only

Most beautiful neighbourhoods in America's

Stroll these beautiful neighborhoods for the eye candy, the Americana, and the locals’ perspective on a city.

By Jason Cochran

Urban planner Jeff Soule remembers the moment he fully appreciated the beauty of Baltimore’s Charles Village. He was leading a tour through tree-lined streets of cheery row houses when it started to pour. “I was with 20 visiting Chinese mayors, and there was this wonderful African American woman—not only did she invite everyone up on her porch, but she made them all lemonade.”   get to heathrow London airport

Eye-catching design and green spaces go a long way toward making a neighborhood attractive, but the most beautiful neighborhoods are also enriched by this kind of welcoming community spirit. And they tend to resonate with American history, whether recalling a bygone way of life (the South of Broad area of Charleston) or acting as an open-air museum that showcases the work of iconic architects.

Chicago’s Oak Park, for instance, counts 23 of Frank Lloyd Wright’s modestly elegant, low-slung buildings, but the Americana runs even deeper: 90 percent of the neighborhood is classified as a historic district. No resident is more than two blocks from a bikeway, and the neighborhood is easily reached on the El train.

Some modern developers strive to manufacture an instant neighborhood-y feel and to create the kind of pastiche that a gorgeous, lived-in neighborhood possesses naturally. But Soule, director of outreach for the American Planning Association, says he hasn’t found many areas developed in the last 25 years that tick all the boxes: “A lot of newer neighborhoods haven’t stood the test of time yet.”

Fledgling and struggling neighborhoods alike can look to the Paseo in Oklahoma City as a success story. This artists’ colony of Spanish Revival 1920s bungalows was marred by mid-century gang violence. But unfazed artists moved in, taking advantage of low property values, and eventually brought the neighborhood back to a state of homey, charming bohemianism—just two miles from downtown.

Accessibility and authenticity are valued as much by travelers as by prospective residents. After all, making a detour to one of these beautiful neighborhoods isn’t just visually pleasing—it can reveal a city at its most genuine. You may not be offered free lemonade, but you may still want to move in tomorrow.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brooklyn Heights, New York City

The storied Brooklyn Bridge, an American beauty itself, sets its eastern granite foot in this neighborhood made beautiful by brownstones and regal prewar condos on leafy streets, some named for fruit. Generations of literati (Thomas Wolfe, Walt Whitman, Truman Capote) have flocked to Brooklyn Heights, and more than 600 houses date to before the Civil War—surpassing better-known areas in Philadelphia and D.C. Visitors’ most memorable snapshots of the Manhattan skyline are taken from its sunset-soaking waterfront esplanade

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Garden District, New Orleans

When you think of the good life in the South—mint juleps on the veranda, gingerbread iron detailing, heavy subtropical shade trees—you’re thinking of the Garden District around St. Charles Avenue, where streetcars trundle by (fare still $1.25). A slight elevation has protected these mansions from hurricane devastation for nearly 200 years. Certainly a wealthy enclave, where the four-diamond Commander’s Palace is considered the local eatery, the district is by no means homogenous; its Orthodox Anshe Sfard synagogue, with 1926 electric light fittings, was founded by Lithuanian Jews. Don’t miss Lafayette Cemetery, a 180-year-old reliquary of spectacular aboveground vaults

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Pacific Heights, San Francisco

For many visitors, San Francisco is synonymous with the Hollywood-ready “Painted Ladies”—by definition a Victorian wood home gussied up with at least three paint colors—and this hilltop area has the city’s highest concentration. The Heights preserves the city much as it was before the quake and fire of 1906, and Victorian Home Walk’s daily tours provide context for your architectural exploration. A walking tour of this privileged district also guarantees gorgeous panoramas of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Bay.

The Paseo, Oklahoma City

Some beautiful neighborhoods are also worth celebrating as success stories. Once a thriving artists’ colony of Spanish Revival 1920s bungalows, by mid-century The Paseo, two miles north of downtown, was plagued by gang warfare and prostitution. Unfazed, artists moved in, taking advantage of low property values, and brought things back to a state of homey bohemianism—with plenty of eye candy. Nearly 20 galleries, two schools for creative students, and an annual arts festival inspired Forbes to name it one of “America’s most transformed neighborhoods.” Where home values are dropping elsewhere, in the Paseo, they’re going up, without forsaking that unique pioneer Oklahoma culture.

South of Broad in Charleston

Savannah’s cobbled Historic District corners the market on ghost tours and manicured squares, but Charleston’s mansard-rich sister offers it-happened-here Dixie lore and is noticeably less touristy and at least as beautiful. Visitors stroll block after block of corniced brick multilevel buildings graced by canopies of Spanish moss, palm trees, and flowering gardens. These 300-year-old merchants’ homes retain a West Indies influence, notable in the south-facing porches designed to catch sea breezes. The secession of the Confederacy was hatched in this neighborhood’s parlors, and the Civil War’s first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, within sight of the bedroom windows.

Hancock Park, Los Angeles

Tourists are shooed away from the opulence of Beverly Hills by tall hedges and locked gates, but the 1,200 homes of Hancock Park form a rare L.A. enclave that invites exploration. The landmarked Hollywood sign is visible from many streets, where the range of styles and fine construction evoke the boom days of the 1920s. Case in point: the Queen Anne–style Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch House, at 637 South Lucerne, was trucked here in June 1924—while 100 high-society guests partied inside. Stars such as Nat King Cole, Kathy Bates, and Patricia Heaton have helped the community keep its luster despite a westward march of real estate trendiness

Oak Park, Western Chicago

It’s not just about the modest elegance of Frank Lloyd Wright, although he designed or built 23 structures in Oak Park, including his own studio. The Americana runs deeper here. Fully 90 percent of this 97-block village—conveniently tethered to downtown Chicago by a 15-minute ride on the El—is classified as a historic district that ranges from Prairie School (80 examples) to thebirthplace of Ernest Hemingway. Walking past the lawns and low-pitched homes is pleasure enough, but the local government also sweetens the suburban paradise with a cycle system that puts no resident more than two blocks from a bikeway.

Charles Village, North-Central Baltimore

It’s green with trees, painted in sprightly colors, and atypically blends turn-of-the-century, Baltimore-style row houses with yards and wide boulevards. In short, it’s an inner-city neighborhood you could fall in love with. “Early in the city’s history, they separated the ownership of the land under the house from the cost of the house,” explains Jeff Soule of the American Planning Association. That small levy on property values “was almost like an early affordable housing program.” The resulting mix of civically active residents—from blue-collar to students—supports live theater, shopping, the enviable Waverly Farmers’ Market, and a museum with the largest Matisse collection on earth.

Back Bay, Boston

The Back Bay encompasses so much that is Bostonian that tourists could visit only it and feel as if they know Beantown. Reclaimed from waterways in the 1880s, it’s the city in microcosm—touristically, if not demographically, speaking—with skyscrapers (I. M. Pei’s John Hancock at Copley Square), fine stone Victorian dwellings with distinctive bay windows, shopping avenues (upscale-artsy Newbury Street), and name-brand hotels. Visitors can even eat “chowdah” at Legal Sea Foods and rummage through bargain bins at Filene’s Basement without departing the confines of America’s brownstone heaven.

Montrose, Houston

Montrose is Texas, eclectically: rents are affordable, yet the 16-block neighborhood is rich in tradition. Howard Hughes grew up in a brick mansion at 3921 Yoakum Street, now part of the University of St. Thomas, and LBJ’s former three-bedroom Victorian home complete with porch swing went on the market in 2011 for just $425,000. The Arts and Crafts bungalows, patio houses, and galleries attract a gay community that strives to keep that Main Street America feeling. Even the dogs are allowed to run free in Ervan Chew Park. “You don’t think of Houston as a city of neighborhoods, but actually it is,” says Jeff Soule of the American Planning Association. “They’re just surrounded by big highways.”

Disney World at 40: What hath Walt wrought?

By Rob Lovitt

Travel writer                                                                                                 

On Saturday, Walt Disney World will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its opening on October 1, 1971. There’ll be a character parade, fireworks and, no doubt, much discussion of its founder’s vision and hopes for the future.

Funny thing is, that vision probably wouldn’t have included the Disney World we know today, let alone the resorts, cruise ships and other projects that increasingly define the company’s outsized role in the travel industry.

Now, 40 years on, the company is embarking on new projects — the recently opened Aulani resort in Hawaii, a new “Avatar land” at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, a new Disneyland in Shanghai and its second new cruise ship in just over a year — and hoping to make an even larger mark on the great American vacation.

    Get to London Heathrow-Southampton transfer.

The mouse makes its mark Opening five years after its founder’s death, Walt Disney World debuted with a single park — Magic Kingdom — and just two hotels. Yet its impact was hard to miss.

“One of the biggest things it changed was where we vacationed,” said Chad Emerson, author of the 2010 book “Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World.”

“Before the Disney World property became what it did, the area was a swamp. Back then, when people went to Florida, they went to the beach,” said Emerson. “Disney World proved that if you build something and make it compelling enough, people will go just about anywhere.”

Disney World also offered something its predecessor in Anaheim couldn’t — adjacent space for hotels, restaurants and other ancillary offerings. Where Disneyland is surrounded by urban sprawl that provides marginal value (and zero revenue) to the company, Disney World was designed from the start as an all-encompassing experience.

“The goal was to use the theme park as a centerpiece and then add other types of development — the hotels, the restaurants, the shopping,” said John Gerner, managing director of Leisure Business Advisors LLC. “That packaging aspect is essentially what the company has given the industry.”

Ironically, that “gift” may very well have gone ungiven if Walt Disney had lived to see Disney World open, suggests Emerson. “Late in life, he was more interested in city planning. He saw Magic Kingdom as a primer, a way to generate interest and traffic, which would then be supplemented with real neighborhoods, office parks, an airport,” he told msnbc.com.

“If Walt had lived another 10, 15, 20 years, Disney World wouldn’t be nearly the tourist destination that it is.”

Thinking outside the berm As a 20-year Disney veteran, Tom Staggs has played a pivotal role in adapting Walt’s vision to changing times. Now chairman of the company’s parks and resorts business, he’s leading the charge to ensure that business stays relevant in the decades to come.

Actually, Staggs’ “parks and resorts” title is a bit of a misnomer as he also oversees the company’s vacation-ownership (timeshare) operations, its rapidly expanding cruise line and Adventures by Disney, which offers guided family trips to non-park destinations around the world — endeavors that are increasingly far removed from the traditional theme-park experience.

“For Walt, the ‘place’ was simply a device to create the experiences he wanted to create,” said Staggs. “That’s the context we look at when we consider new businesses. Where are the opportunities we can create these great guest experiences that we can feel good about calling Disney experiences?”

Such efforts underscore a fundamental shift for the company: Instead of focusing exclusively on bringing guests into the parks, Disney executives are also looking at where else their guests like to go — Hawaii, for example —and hoping they’ll choose Disney as their preferred travel provider.

“When we got into the cruise business, it was almost a non sequitur for some people,” said Staggs. “Basically, they said, ‘You’re a theme park company.’ But to say that misses the point. The cruise business for us is about creating this vehicle for shared experiences.

“To a certain extent, we even had to culturally get our own people to understand that we didn’t have to have families inside the berm — in the theme parks — to deliver a Disney vacation experience.”

Where’s Mickey? What does it mean for travelers? Less focus on fairy-tale castles and animated characters and more emphasis on authentic, local experiences. At Aulani, Disney’s new resort on Oahu, for example, cast members — it is a Disney property, after all — offer language lessons and share stories of Hawaiian culture. Mickey and Minnie do show up, but they’re portrayed as other guests, not as lords of the mouse-house manor.

That’s especially true with Adventures by Disney, which debuted in 2005 to provide guided trips and tours designed for families but with nary a Disney character in sight.

“People always ask us, ‘Am I going to see Mickey on the Colorado River?’ ” said Karl Holz, president, Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “I guarantee you Mickey will not jump out from behind a rock.”

Which, it should be noted, could be considered a double-edged sword? Without its signature characters, Disney has to compete in these new areas with companies that have been in the field for decades — and without it’s proverbial ace in the hole. Whether it’s Westin in Hawaii or Royal Caribbean on the high seas, Disney is, strange as it sounds, the upstart, not the 800-pound gorilla in the game.

Nevertheless, these new businesses, coupled with continued strong theme park attendance (and, let’s face it, some of the highest ticket prices in the business), appear to be serving the company well. Through the first nine months of Disney’s fiscal year, which ended July 2, revenues from its travel-related businesses approached $8.7 billion, up 9 percent from the year before.

Boy wizards and blue aliens Meanwhile, the other side of the ledger shows the company investing billions — almost $2.1 billion under the parks and resorts banner over the last nine-month reporting period alone — on new projects and expansion/updates.