Contingency plans to redeploy non-striking county council staff to essential services will be carried out in Cumbria to counter the effects of national industrial action by the trade unions Unison and Unite on July 16th & 17th.
The trade unions have refused requests from the county council to allow essential 'life and limb' functions such as care workers for vulnerable people to be exempt from the industrial action. Instead the only exemption the unions have agreed to is limited IT support for the 999 switchboard in the fire and rescue service.
The refusal means that some frontline services will be affected during the industrial action while the county council concentrates on its main priority - preserving the health and safety of the general public.
As employees have no legal obligation to state whether they will be taking industrial action before the two-day strike, the true extent of its impact will only be clear tomorrow. Nationally, the Local Government Association estimates that just under a quarter of all council staff are expected to strike.
In children's services, all emergency and essential services to protect children will be maintained. Foster carers for school age children have been contacted to find out whether they will need additional help or support as a result of any school closures (see below).
Most schools expect to remain open on Wednesday and Thursday with only 23 expecting to fully close due to the industrial action (less than half the number that closed during the last strike by UNISON in March 2006). 18 schools will remain partially open but only for certain classes or year groups, including James Rennie and Sandgate Special schools. A small number of schools will only be open for part of the day.
Most of the schools expecting to close or only partially open on Wednesday and Thursday have already sent out letters to parents and carers explaining how this will affect them. Parents need to check these letters carefully as some after school clubs, sports practice and other services may also be affected.
The County Council will be co-ordinating changes to school transport arrangements and services for schools. Staff are also on standby to help with schools facing unexpected difficulties on the strike day itself.
Schools due to be closed on July 16 & 17 due to industrial action:
Special School:
Mayfield School Whitehaven
Nursery School:
Hindpool Nursery School Barrow-In-Furness
Primary Schools:
Askam Village School Askam-In-Furness
Greengate Infant and Nursery School Barrow-In-Furness North Walney Primary School Barrow-In-Furness St George's CE School Barrow-In-Furness Vickerstown School Barrow-In-Furness Caldew Lea School Carlisle Newtown Community Primary School Carlisle Norman Street Primary School Carlisle Robert Ferguson Primary School Carlisle St Bridget's Catholic Primary School Egremont Orgill School Egremont Black Combe Junior School Millom Millom Infant School Millom St James' Catholic Primary School Millom Dale Street Infant and Nursery School Ulverston Kells Infant School Whitehaven Lowca Community School Whitehaven St Bridget's CE School - Parton Whitehaven Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School Workington
Secondary Schools:
Alfred Barrow School Barrow-In-Furness
Ulverston Victoria High School Ulverston
Schools due to be partially closed on July 16 & 17 due to industrial action:
Special Schools:
James Rennie School Carlisle
Sandgate School Kendal
Pupil Referral Unit:
Gillford Centre PRU Carlisle
Primary Schools:
Ramsden Infant School Barrow-In-Furness South Walney Infant and Nursery School Barrow-In-Furness St Margaret Mary's Catholic Primary School Carlisle Fairfield Infant School Cockermouth Flookburgh CE Primary School Grange-Over-Sands Haverigg School Millom Milnthorpe Primary School Milnthorpe North Lakes School Penrith Bransty Primary School Whitehaven St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Community Sch Whitehaven St Mary's Catholic Primary School - Kells Whitehaven Beckstone Primary School Workington St Gregory's Catholic Primary School Workington
Secondary schools:
Walney School Barrow-In-Furness
Netherhall School Maryport
A number of libraries around the county are also expected to be affected by the industrial action. Although subject to change, here are current expectations on the likely impact from the library service:
Alston No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Ambleside Closed
Appleby No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Arnside No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Askam No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Aspatria No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Barrow No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Barrow Island No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Brampton Closed
Carlisle Closed
Carlisle Delivery Van Off the road
Carlisle Mobile Off the road
Cleator Moor No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Cockermouth No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Coniston No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Dalton No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Denton Holme Closed
Distington No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Egremont No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Frizington No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Gosforth No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Grange Closed
Harraby Closed
Hensingham No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Kells No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Kendal Mobile Closed
Kendal Closed
Keswick Closed
Kirkby Lonsdale No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Kirkby Stephen No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Library Headquarters No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Longtown No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Maryport No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Millom No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Milnthorpe Closed
Mirehouse No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Moorclose No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Morton No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Penrith Open 10-1 on Wednesday, closed on Thurs
Roose No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Seascale No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Seaton No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Sedbergh No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Shap No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Silloth No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
St Bees No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Thornhill No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Ulverston Closed
Walney No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Whitehaven No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Wigton Closed
Windermere No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Workington No change to usual opening hours Wed & Thurs
Workington Mobile TBC
Carlisle and Whitehaven records offices will remain open, but Kendal and Barrow will close.
Adult Social Care's main offices will be open to the public as usual and the emergency out of hours contact service will be maintained as usual.
All registrar offices and Household Waste Recycling Centres in the county will be unaffected by the strike and remain open as usual.
The county council will update this list in the run-up to and throughout the strike as it receives more information.
ENDS
Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 226332