British civil servants to strike over pay, pensions

LONDON (AP) - British civil servants are planning to strike this month amid an ongoing dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions.

The Public and Commercial Services union said on Wednesday that a 24-hour strike will start on March 20, the day British Treasury chief George Osborne presents his budget to lawmakers.

It said the strike will coincide with rallies and protests and is designed to pressure the government, which it says is "refusing to talk."

The union, which claims nearly 250,000 members, said the walkout will be part of a rolling series of protests and further strikes over the next three months.

Britain's Cabinet Office called it "disappointing" that the union is "pushing for futile action which benefits no one, and damages the services they deliver to the public."

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