Region is ready for second day of strikes

Jul 17 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

Region is ready for second day of strikes

A SECOND day of strikes will hit schools, bin collections and care services across Merseyside today.

Last night, there were no signs that picket lines were relaxing as protesters gathered outside council buildings in Liverpool to turn away night-shift cleaners.

This morning, a “significant number” of the union’s 5,000 Wirral members are expected at Wallasey Town Hall.

Yesterday, dozens of schools were closed and rubbish was left uncollected. Driving test examiners also struck in separate pay disputes.

The industrial action was prompted by a 2.45% pay increase which is below inflation.

As the strike ends tonight, the Public and Commercial Services Union will gear up for a coastguards’ strike during the Tall Ships Race.

Outside Liverpool’s municipal buildings, Liverpool branch secretary Angela Blundell said: “We’ve had people outside every council building in Liverpool and the response from the public has been very sympathetic.

“We need to have this action to raise the profile of our dispute and bring the employers back to the table.”

Sefton Unison members and staff of Bootle Day centre for Adults with Disabilities were also among the pickets yesterday.

Senior steward Jackie Cooney said: “We look after our service users every day, but it gets to the stage when coming to work costs us more than we earn. We are all extremely low paid, do not want to have to be on strike, and hope the national employers get back around the table and simply be reasonable. That’s all we ask.” At least 16 schools and nurseries were fully closed due to the industrial action, and another 11 partially shut in Liverpool.

In Sefton, nine schools closed and refuse collection was stopped in the south and limited in the north.

In Knowsley, strikes affected more than 30 primary schools, and no rubbish was collected. . Rubbish collectors also walked out in St Helens.

Wirral’s bins were mostly collected as normal, but cemeteries and crematoriums were shut.

richarddown@dailypost.co.uk