Today thousands of teachers have walked out on strike in a fight for better pay. And they are not the only ones.
Train drivers, university staff and civil servants have also taken industrial action over a number of concerns. The ECHO has a proud history of supporting those who choose to strike, as it is a decision never taken lightly.
And today is no different, as with many other strike actions, we have reporters on the picket lines getting the real stories from people on the ground. Their experiences of their working conditions, their pay and their thoughts on why we have arrived in this situation.
READ MORE: Schools strikes and closures live as teachers join mass day of action across Merseyside
Already we have heard from people who say they would "rather be teaching", but feel they can no longer perform their jobs under the current pressures without a real term payrise. You can follow all our live coverage from the picket lines here.
And if you still need to check which schools in Merseyside are likely to be closed today, you can see our full list here.
Stories from the courtroom
Away from the strike we also have stories from court, such as the mum who turned on her husband and stabbed him in the chest after a late night trip to Costco. Ching Lin knifed her partner and the father of her child when a blazing row erupted between the couple over housework.
There is also the story of the 'middle man' in a drug ring who was identified by pictures of his girlfriend's dog. Police discovered the "Little Book of Dennis", a photo album containing countless shots of the pet dachshund, in Bobby Allen's bedroom.
And finally...
If you have a problem with cats fouling in your garden, well, our Trends Team might have the answer. Our story about how to stop it "within hours" has been gaining interest as people search for the answer on Google. So if you want the inside knowledge to, you can read all about it here.
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