by Luke James and Conrad Landin 

in central London

TWO MILLION people defied Tory strike ban threats yesterday to come out fighting against poverty pay — and PCS union leader Mark Serwotka warned the government it was “just the beginning.”

Mr Serwotka rallied a sea of teachers, firefighters, council workers and civil servants in Trafalgar Square in his first major speech since recovering from heart surgery. 

He said he hoped ministers would “finally feel the humanity and compassion in their Tory bones” to lift the pay freeze forcing workers below the poverty line.

But he conceded that is unlikely and urged unions to learn the lessons of the 2011 pensions dispute that “fizzled out” after a two-million strong one-day strike. 

Mr Serwotka told the crowds from Nelson’s Column: “Today is starting something that the government must understand will get bigger and bigger.

“Today has been fantastic but if we need to do more, we must do more.”

The civil servants’ union leader called for an urgent meeting of trade unions to “ensure that further action is planned and co-ordinated and gets bigger and bigger.”

Workers across Britain, who have seen their pay slashed by up to 20 per cent over the last five years, took part in over a thousand picket lines at town halls and schools. 

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