National strike forces children to stay at home

Schools are expected to prove the highest profile target with hundreds across the North-East closing to pupils.

Many headteachers say they have been left with no option but to cancel teaching for the day amid fears over health and safety.

School staff including caretakers, cleaners, dinner ladies and secretaries are among those in the public sector striking over pay.

David Henderson, headteacher of Darlington's Hummersknott School, said he had consulted with governors and decided it would be "impractical" to open to pupils.

The school had written to the parents of its 1,200 plus pupils to inform them of the situation.

Members of three unions, Unison, GMB and the Transport and General Workers Union are taking strike action.

They have rejected a three per cent from their local authority employers, seeking six per cent instead.

Some 70,000 workers in the North-East will walk out hitting a huge range of services including refuse collection, social services, housing, leisure and libraries.

Lynne Robson, Unison's head of local Government in the North-East, said: "We don't want to be in this position but because of the intransigence shown by employers and their derisory pay offer we have no choice."

Further strike action was being planned including another one day strike in August, she said.

Pickets will be out at council buildings and rallies are being held in several city centre locations in the North-East.

Exemptions have been won for some crucial services such as care for the elderly and infirm. But the national action - the first since 1989 - will drastically reduce regular council functions.

Councillor John Weighell, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "We will be doing everything in our power to maintain services but many which people have come to rely on will not be available.

"At this stage we just don't know how many people will actually go on strike and we have contingency plans in place to keep things running as normally as we can."

Burials and cremations will not take place in some local authority areas, while many staff supervised car parks are expected to close.

Guide to who will be affected by tomorrow's strike action

Affected services in The Northern Echo readership area are listed council-by-council. The list is not comprehensive and may be subject to change, so the advice is to check with the local authority concerned if in doubt.

Darlington

* No refuse collection.

* Library services including the main library, Cockerton and the mobile service will be closed.

* The Dolphin Centre will be open including the Pulse Suites, however, the pool will be closed. * Eastbourne Sports Complex will also be open.

* The Arts Centre will be closed to the public. The performance of Bob Dylan, A History of Rock and Roll, has been re-scheduled to Saturday, July 27.

* Most schools open, with parents being informed if they are closed.

South Tyneside

* All schools, leisure facilities, libraries and community centres closed.

* Area housing offices and other services such as council tax and housing benefit will also be closed.

* There will be no household refuse collection or waste collection from business premises.

* All Social Services offices will be closed but an emergency duty team will be available.

* Residential homes for children and elderly people and other vulnerable people will operate as normal.

* There will be no burials or cremations and public conveniences with attendants will be closed.

Newcastle

* All surface car parks will be open as usual but all manned multi-storey car parks will be closed.

* Refuse collection and trade waste collections will not take place.

* Most schools will be closed and parents of children who attend affected schools have been informed.

* All libraries in the city closed.

* 24-hour residential services are not affected by the action. * Critical care at home will be maintained and a meals at home service for elderly people.

* An emergency housing repair service will be available which will respond to any calls related to gas or electricity repairs.

* Discovery Museum, Hancock Museum and the Laing Art Gallery all closed.

Stockton

* No refuse collection.

* All museums, libraries, leisure facilities and council tax offices closed.

* Residential and home care services available as normal with emergency teams in place.

* To date the following schools have confirmed closure to pupils on Wednesday: Northfield School; Thornaby Community School; Westlands School; Saltersgill; Abbey Hill; Bishopsmill; Ash Trees; Junction Farm; Harrow Gate; Hartburn; Harewood Infants; Harewood Juniors; St John the Baptist; Oxbridge; Tilery; Crooksbarn; Frederick Nattrass; Whinstone; Ingleby Mill; The Link; Mandale Milll; Layfield Primary; The Village; Tedder; Pentland; Norton Primary; Mill Lane; Roseworth Primary; The Glebe; Hardwick Primary.

Middlesbrough

* Middlesbrough House open as usual, switchboard reception, housing and council tax functions available.

* Teesside Crematorium closed all day.

* A number of schools expected to shut.

Durham County

* Sixty-nine schools so far closed.

They are:

Acre Rigg Infant; Acre Rigg Junior; Beaumont Hill (Darlington LEA, Durham children attend); Beechdale Nursery, Consett; Belmont CE Junior; Belmont Comprehensive; Belmont Infant; Benfieldside Primary; Bishop Barrington Comprehensive; Blackfyne Community; Blackhall Colliery Primary; Broom Cottages Primary; Cheveley Park Primary, Belmont (from noon onwards); Consett Infant; Cotsford Infant; Cotsford Junior; Coundon Primary (Thursday not Wednesday); Dean Road Nursery, Ferryhill; Deerness Valley Comprehensive; Durham Johnston; Durham Trinity; Easington Comprehensive; Evenwood CE; Framwellgate Moor Comprehensive; Greencroft; Greenfield; Hare Law School; Hesleden Primary; King James I Community College; Lanchester EP Primary; Laurel Avenue Community Primary; Middlestone Moor Primary; Moorside Community School; Murphy Crescent; Newker Primary; Oxclose Primary, Spennymoor; Parkside Comprehensive, Willington; Peases West Primary; Pelton Infant; Pelton Junior; Pittington Primary; Rosa Street Primary, Spennymoor; Rosebank, Ferryhill; Seaham Deneside Infant (Nursery only); Sherburn Primary; Shield Row Primary; Shotton Hall Infant; South Hetton Primary; Spennymoor Comprehensive; Spennymoor Whitworth; St John's CE (Aided), Shildon; St John's RC, Bishop Auckland; St Leonard's RC, Durham; Staindrop Comprehensive; Stanley School of Technology; Stephenson Way Primary; Sugar Hill Primary; Tanfield Comprehensive; Tanfield Lea Infant; Tanfield Lea Junior; Thornley Primary (Nursery unit only); Tudhoe Grange School; Tow Law Millennium Primary; Tudhoe Colliery Primary; Tudhoe Moor Nursery; Walworth School; Wellfield Comprehensive; West Rainton Primary; Westlea Primary, Seaham; Wolsingham Primary; Wolsingham School and Community College; Woodlea Primary.

* Home care and social services vastly reduced - some services operating on call and emergency functions only.

* All libraries closed.

* Binchester Roman Fort, Durham Light Infantry Museum and Killhope Museum, Upper Weardale all closed.

Sunderland

* Home support staff, care workers in residential homes and the meals at home service will operate as normal.

* Some schools closed on the day.

Chester-le-Street

* Limited services.

* The town's leisure centre and Selby Cottage Childcare Centre closed.

* No refuse collection or street cleaning services.

Teesdale

* No refuse collection.

* Teesdale Sports Centre, tourist information centre and the council offices at Stainton Grove closed.

Hartlepool

* No refuse collection.

* All schools, libraries closed. * Two leisure centres - Mill House and Eldon Grove closed.

* Hartlepool historic quay and the Hartlepool art gallery closed.

North Yorkshire

* About a dozen schools closed including special schools and nursery schools.

* Attempting to keep social service day centres open, but some may close in remote areas.

* County Hall open as usual.

* Personal care services for elderly and vulnerable people will be maintained, although respite care and day services may be affected.

Redcar and Cleveland

* 12,000 homes will be without a refuse collection on the day with the next one on the following Wednesday.

* Majority of schools closed.

* Central library at Redcar likely to be open. Other library branches closed.

* Main council offices open, but for emergency services only.

Gateshead

* Civic centre closed. Most other council offices including district and local housing offices also expected to be closed.

* All libraries and leisure centres and most community centres closed.

* Day centres closed.

* No rubbish collection until following Wednesday.

City of York

* Central library and mobile library closed.

* The Castle Museum and Yorkshire Museum closed.

* Piccadilly, Shambles, Castle and Union Terrace coach parks all closed.

* A number of schools will be affected and parents have been

advised by the headteachers. The following will all be closed: Carr Infant School (including the nursery); Carr Junior School; Fulford Cross School (Special School); Lidgett Grove School (Special School); St Paul's Nursery School; Fishergate Primary School; Tang Hall Primary School Early Years Unit; Haxby Road - Foundation and Nursery; Galtres School (Special School) - the school will be open but three classes will be closed.