Schools may close in big council strike

Services will be disrupted and some schools could close when thousands of council workers across the West Midlands go on strike next week.

The national strike action will see meals on wheels at risk, schools unsure about staffing levels, residential care homes potentially in trouble and the bins left to rot.

Members of the union Unison have demanded a six per cent rise but been offered 2.45 per cent by the Government.

There are 5,000 Unison members in Sandwell, 6,000 in Wolverhampton, 7,000 in Dudley and 6,000 in Walsall who could potentially walk out on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a pay row.

Authorities in the West Midlands have had crisis talks with union bosses in a bid to cushion the blow, but with the strike days drawing closer there is every chance many frontline services will grind to a halt.

Adrian Turner, from Wolverhampton's Unison branch, said: "Most council services will come to a standstill because support for the stoppage is strong in the city. Thirty new members joined the union in one day last week."

Councillor Neville Patten, leader of the city council, said: "I feel sorry for the people of Wolverhampton, who will suffer from this. I just hope it does not affect services too badly."

Councillor David Caunt, leader of Dudley Council, said: "If they walk out services will be extremely stretched – it will have an enormous impact on what we are able to offer."

Talks have been held with council chiefs and union leaders across the region, with every local authority currently drawing up contingency plans to ensure the most vulnerable still get services.

Individual schools across the region are waiting to see what the staffing levels are like before making any decisions on closure, with caretakers, cleaners and support workers all members of Unison.

Councillor Pauline Hinton, Sandwell Council's deputy leader, said: "Council management and trade union representatives have met and have locally agreed posts that will be exempted from undertaking strike action in order to maintain essential services."

A Walsall Council spokesman told the Express & Star: "Whilst every effort is being made to minimise disruption to local people, it is inevitable that services will be affected."

There are 250 Unison members in Stafford but the council says it has drawn up a contingency plan to ensure all the vital services run on time. More than 600,000 workers will strike nationally, including teaching assistants, school cleaners and cooks, social workers, librarians, surveyors, refuse collectors and sports centre staff.

Local authority employers in some parts of England have been accused of using "scare tactics" to try to persuade staff not to join the strike. Unison said a number of councils had written to employees warning they would lose pay and have their pension service broken because of the walkout.