Council staff strike in Hampshire

Refuse collectors have gone on strike in Southampton

Council workers in Hampshire are staging the second day of a strike over pay, hitting services such as schools, libraries and rubbish collections.

At least 500,000 staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to join the second day of the 48-hour action, Unison and Unite say.

In Southampton, a third of all households will not have their rubbish collected this week.

Council workers have said they "are not out to make a profit".

Terry Hinton, 54, United Union representative at the city council for 34 years, demonstrated outside Town depot in Albert Road North on the first day of the strike, along with between 300 and 450 council employees including refuse workers.

We have already tightened our belts for the last four years Terry Hinton Unite union Is your council hit by the strike? Send us your comments

"All refuse collections - residential, commercial and private including recycling - will stop," he said.

"We are asking for 6% to try to bridge the gap between the public sector and private sector.

"We have already tightened our belts for the last four years - there has to be line drawn somewhere. "

Three special schools are among the 10 schools in the city that are closed.

The city's libraries in Burgess Road, Millbrook, Shirley, Portswood and Weston are also affected.

Only Lordshill library and the Central library will be open, but with reduced hours on Thursday.

A Portsmouth city council spokeswoman said there would be no disruption to home care and residential care but day services would be disrupted.

Only the Central Library would remain open but all museums may be closed.

Rate of inflation

Refuse and Recycling collections will operate as normal.

Charles Dickens Infant and Junior School are closed, along with Isambard Brunel Junior, Cliffdale Primary and Manor Infant.

Councillor Ken Thornber, Leader of Hampshire County Council said: "Our priority is to the vulnerable people of Hampshire and children in our care.

"Rest assured that the county council will do everything possible to ensure that they will be well looked after throughout the period of industrial action."

Isle of Wight Council libraries are also closed, along with the Medina Leisure Centre and a number of schools.

The unions are protesting at pay deals which they say are below the rate of inflation and would mean an effective pay cut for their members.

Members rejected a 2.45% pay offer and are asking for a rise of 6%, or 50p an hour.

The unions said 500,000 members walked out on the first day, but employers put the number at 100,000.