Picket lines were mounted across York on Wednesday as part of the biggest walkout by trade union members in years. 

Across the country, teachers, junior doctors, BBC local radio journalists, government workers, universities and tube station staff walked out today, with rail staff following suit tomorrow.

The ongoing disputes are over pay, jobs, pensions, workloads, working conditions and cuts, with warnings of more strikes if they are not resolved.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) across England organised a walkout today (March 15), and tomorrow, in a dispute over pay and workloads.

Picket lines were mounted across York, including Scarcroft Primary School and York High School.

Four York schools closed their doors - Yearsley Grove Primary School, Dringhouses Primary School, Copmanthorpe Primary School, and Clifton Green Primary School - although Copmanthorpe will just be partially closed tomorrow.

All of York's secondary schools were partially closed today, meaning some were able to run for particular year groups, and Applefields School was the only special school in York to stay fully open.

Cllr Katie Lomas, of the Acomb Ward, attended picket lines across the city today.

She said: "Talking to NEU members I heard about the struggles they have providing a quality education and surrounding support to children when the schools are short on staff because they can't recruit and retain them and because budgets are cut to the minimum. "

Junior doctors of York Hospital, Scarborough General Hospital and Harrogate District Hospital finished their 72 hour walkout today as part of the national dispute over their 26 per cent real terms pay cut since 2008, according to the BMA union.

Cllr Lomas added: "At the hospital I heard from BMA Junior Doctor members who have to move across the region to get the necessary experience but struggle to afford to live in our city due to low wages.

"They still face punishing hours spent in a health service at breaking point but can't get a mortgage." 

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has said it had to postpone planned appointments this week to prioritise emergencies.

BBC Radio York journalists walked out of their station today at 11am in Bootham Row in protest over proposed cuts to local radio shows.

The BBC has said it plans to invest money saved from local radio into digital programming.

Cllr Lomas said: "The aim of the strikes is to get a fair settlement from the employers but everyone I speak to on the picket lines is also striking to protect the service they deliver, and the people they deliver that service to and for.

"These workers are standing up for their rights but everyone I spoke to today was also thinking about the whole of our society and the impact on all of us if the vital services we all rely on or benefit from fail."

Rail staff of the RMT union will be staging industrial action tomorrow and Saturday in disputes over pay and working conditions, of which have been ongoing since June last year.