Women say move will be ‘massively detrimental’ to services for vulnerable children, and hit their own pensions

The 33 women waving banners outside a nursery in the South Yorkshire village of Grimethorpe have never been on strike before.

Passing cars beep their horns in support of the workers, who have taken action at six nurseries run by Barnsley council after its Reform UK leadership agreed to transfer them to private companies. They say the move will have a hugely negative impact on the services they provide to vulnerable children, and to their own pensions.