Teachers, university staff, and bus and train drivers went on strike across Lincolnshire on Wednesday over pay and work conditions.

Many said they'd been left with no other option after the government failed to listen.

The strike included the National Education Union (the country's biggest union of teachers), the University and College Union, and the RMT, which represents train and bus drivers.

Half a million people are estimated to have taken part in industrial action across the country.

There was disruption as some schools partially-closed, trains were unable to run and some university courses were affected

Teachers

Lincolnshire NEU member Jill Evans, who was striking for the first time, said she was worried about cuts to education.

"It's not about pay, it's about TAs that aren't funded properly and would earn more in supermarkets than classrooms," she said.

"Teachers can't do their jobs because of the lack of funding, and it's the children who suffer as a result.

"We already work holidays, weekends and evenings, and don't have any work-life balance.

"We're ready to talk, but I'm not sure if the government are ready to listen."

Others held placards saying: "Won't somebody think of the children?" and "Save our schools". 

University staff

Owen Clayton, the branch UCU chair, described university staff as overworked, underpaid and worried about their future.

"Our pay is down by a quarter since 2009. We have asked for a rise that's at least in line with inflation," he said.

"We've got an absolutely unsustainable workload which is making people ill. Staff are going off sick with stress or being hospitalised.

"We've also got a huge number of staff on insecure, casual contracts who never know how much work they're going to have each year. No one can have any certainty which is extremely stressful."

Andy Rowcroft said he had seen conditions get "worse and worse", and "workload has become a major issue" with ever larger seminar classes.

Transport workers

The railworkers' RMT union is continuing a series of train strikes in the hope of better pay.

Trade union representatives at the march said there was public support for this often-unpopular move.

Calvin Bissitt, secretary for Lincolnshire Trades Council said: "Lincoln isn't considered a hotbed of union activity and it demonstrates how pressing the cost of living crisis is, and how strongly people feel about the need for people to be paid fairly.

"As much as the government tries to make it about pay, it's about more than that. The average income isn't something people can live on."

Tina Green, representing the RMT and Lincoln & District Trade Unions, said: "I would like to say the government is listening, but I'm not convinced.

She said that they would be undeterred, adding: "The worst thing we can do is wear them down."