The impact of national industrial action by the trade unions Unison and Unite today and tomorrow has been relatively minor and it's broadly business as usual for council services.
The effect on care services has been minimal, and Cumbria Care has confirmed all its residential homes are appropriately staffed. There has been picketing action at three care homes in Whitehaven, Wigton and Appleby - but staffing levels at the homes in question have been unaffected. Staff have been redeployed to provide 24-hour emergency cover for essential care services for both young and older people.
The main visible impact of the industrial action has been on schools, with a total of 24 in the county closed for the two-day strike and a further 17 partially affected (ie some may have a reduced school day or won't be teaching certain year groups). The vast majority of Cumbria's schools, however remain unaffected (Cumbria has a total of 279 primaries, 42 secondary schools, 6 nursery schools, 5 special schools and 4 pupil referral units). Schools that have remained open have maintained their usual level of service in terms of school transport, cleaning and school meals.
Here is the list of affected schools (the only change to the information issued yesterday is that the Gilford Centre Pupil Referral Unit is now closed entirely rather than being closed partially).
Closed schools:
Special School:
Mayfield School Whitehaven
Pupil Referral Unit:
Gillford Centre PRU Carlisle
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
Partially closed schools:
Special Schools:
James Rennie School Carlisle
Sandgate School Kendal
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
There has been some impact on the county's libraries, with a total of 14 libraries and 2 mobile libraries closed for either some or all of the period of the industrial action:
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 Open Wed, closed Thursday 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 Closed Workington Mobile Closed
Carlisle records office remains open, but Kendal, Whitehaven and Barrow have closed for the two days.
All registrar offices and Household Waste Recycling Centres in the county are unaffected by the strike and are open as usual.
Ends
Please note: Cumbria County Council's media team telephone numbers have now changed.
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 226332