Thousands of teachers, council workers, NHS staff and civil servants across the country walked out today in the biggest strike for over 30 years.

But the 24-hour walkout plunged working parents into chaos as hundreds of schools across the Midlands closed, forcing them to make alternative arrangements for childcare or take the day off work.

Workers were on picket lines outside hospitals, universities and colleges to protest over planned changes to public sector pensions that will make them retire later and contribute more.

See also: How the strikes affect you.

Passengers were braced for delays at Birmingham Airport as UK Border Agency staff walked out and refused to check passports.

Picket lines were being set up at the Ministry Of Defence in Stafford, Stafford Hospital, Cannock Jobcentre, RAF Cosford, New Cross Hospital and the University of Wolverhampton, including its Walsall campus.

John Wilson, a Staffordshire Public and Commercial Services Union branch secretary said: “The government is freezing pay, cutting jobs and destroying pensions, and sucking money out of the economy of Staffordshire to pay off the deficit caused by bankers.”

Public sector workers, from lollipop and dinner ladies to teachers and librarians, were staying away. Trade unions were gathering in Stafford, Wolverhampton and Birmingham by lunchtime for a mass rally.

Bosses at Staffordshire County Council were prioritising social services for “vulnerable residents” today, saying other services would run “as normal where possible”.

Hednesford, Brewood and Kinver libraries were shut while Lichfield mobile library was not running.

Bosses warned of disruptions to bin collections with garden and food waste bins not being collected today in Cannock Chase. Residents were told to leave their bins out tonight if they were not emptied.

Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock, Rugeley Leisure Centre and the Museum of Cannock Chase in Hednesford were, however, all open as usual and the ‘Here Comes Christmas’ show at the Prince of Wales Centre was going ahead as planned.

Hundreds of hospital patients across the region were also being turned away today.

At Stafford and Cannock Chase Hospitals non-urgent services were reduced with patients contacted in advance.

At Walsall Manor Hospital 37 out of 49 routine operations were cancelled with only 24 out of 1,143 outpatient appointments rescheduled. Outpatient x-rays were also affected.

Ambulance staff were still dealing with emergency calls but West Midlands Ambulance Service pleaded with people to use 999 “sparingly” because of walkouts.

Staffordshire Police was also hit by the strike as civilian workers walked out.

Police Community Support Officers, control room operators, intelligence staff, forensics staff, administrative staff and front desk workers were among those taking part.

Michael Shepherd, Unison branch secretary, said: “The most scandalous element of the ministers’ proposals is that the additional money we are being asked to pay will not go into the pension fund, how can this be reasonable? “This is a difficult dispute for us, as our grievances are not with Staffordshire Police but with Government ministers, we are left with no other choice than to join the day of action.”

Workers based at MoD Stafford were also protesting at 33,000 proposed civilian MoD job cuts.