HUNDREDS of striking workers are planning to hold a mass rally in the centre of Southampton on Wednesday.

Teachers at schools across the city will be joined by employees from several other professions as part of a national day of action.

Large parts of the UK workforce are due to stage walkouts in what has been dubbed a general strike in all but name.

University lecturers, civil servants, security guards and train drivers are among those taking part in the protest.

READ MORE: About 900 Southampton NEU members due to take part in national teachers strike on February 1

Southampton strikers and supporters will meet in Guildhall Square at 11am. 

In a statement, Southampton and South West Hampshire Trades Union Council accused the government of trying to pass on the cost of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and its handling of the economy "onto the shoulders of workers".

Workers at the rally will include members of the National Education Union (NEU), which says children are losing out because there are not enough teachers.

READ MORE: Teachers' strike: Full list of Southampton schools due to close on February 1

Arran Channell, 32, is a teacher at Valentine Primary School, one of many that will be closed on Wednesday.

Mr Channell said: "We didn’t go into education to make loads of money - we did it because we wanted to teach children and do the best for them.

"But there aren’t enough people entering the profession and existing teachers are leaving in quite large numbers.

"The workload, the expectations and the pressure the government is putting us under doesn’t reflect the salary. Other professions are now seen as more attractive.

"We need more money in education. The government has got to protect the profession and protect the children of the future.

"Going on strike is the final resort that no-one wants, but you have to stand up for what you believe in."

READ MORE: Regents Park Community College set to close on February 1

Mr Channell often arrives at school at 7am to prepare for lessons and frequently works an 11-hour day.

Asked how the profession had changed he said: "It's what’s expected of you on a day-to-day basis. There just isn’t enough time to do everything the government wants you to do.

"I love actual teaching - it's what gets me through the day. The problem is all the extra stuff such as the tracking of [pupils'] progress.

"In many cases we’re just ticking boxes in case there’s an Ofsted inspection or a visitor comes into the school."

The NEU is demanding a fully-funded, above-inflation pay rise for teachers.

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