Public sector strikes: Closures in Kirklees

Firefighters are also preparing to strike tomorrow and are asking people to take care during the nine-hour period of industrial action.

Kirklees Council has published a list of services that are confirmed to be affected, which includes a number of schools.

Batley Parish Junior Infant and Nursery School will be closed along with Carlton Junior and Infant School, Crossley Fields Junior and Infant School, Earlsheaton Infant School, Gomersal Primary School, Headfield Junior School, Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School, Savile Town Infant and Nursery School, Scholes Village Primary School, Thornhill Junior and Infant School and Whitechapel Church of England Primary School.

Staincliffe CE (VC) Junior School will be partially closed and parents are asked to contact the school for further details.

NUT members are striking in relation to their long running dispute with the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove over pay, pensions and workload. They join with members of other public sector unions in their fight for better pay and pensions.

They will be alongside members of UNISON, UNITE, GMB, PCS and the FBU – which will see teachers, council employees, civil servants and fire fighters - together all taking action on the same day.

Ian Stevenson NUT Regional Secretary said: “The Secretary of State for Education is laying waste to the education system in concerted attack on teachers and the education service. NUT members on Thursday taking strike action will be proud to stand up for teachers, for education and for pupils and parents”

“Those who work in the public sector are essential for the well being of our children, our elderly and the vulnerable. Many work in difficult low paid employment, it is wrong that they continue to take the brunt of the government cut backs attacking their pay and pensions.”

Closures will also include some youth clubs, one-stop centres and various other civic buildings.

Across the country, up to 1.5 million workers are expected to take part in the wave of action.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue will also be striking and is reminding people to take extra care.

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is holding its 15th strike, which will run from 10am-7pm.

Assistant Chief Fire Officers Dave Walton called the announcement of further strike action “extremely concerning.”

He said: “We are very disappointed that we are in this position once again and are forced to divert yet more time and resources towards providing contingency arrangements.

“Contingency provisions will not provide the normal level of fire cover across West Yorkshire so I ask the public once again to take extra care and not to place any unnecessary, non-emergency demand on our reduced resources.

“We reiterate our plea for the Fire Brigades Union and the Minister to find a way to resolve this long running dispute.”

The decision for strike action relates to an on-going trade dispute over its public sector pension reform programme.