Strike fails to impact locally (From Stroud News and Journal)

Strike fails to impact locally

FEARS that yesterday's UNISON strike over pensions would cripple services countrywide were unfounded as Stroud escaped largely unaffected.

The strike was meant to be the biggest since the General Strike of 1926. The only school to close was The Shrubberies in Stonehouse. Stratford Park Leisure Centre remained open as did Stroud's Subscription Rooms and libraries too were unaffected.

Stroud District Council had predicted earlier in the week that the overall impact to services would be limited.

A spokesman said: "We are not expecting too much disruption because only around 240 staff out of our total workforce of 610 are members of the union."

A survey by the Local Government Association found only a small minority of services were affected across the UK.

The strike action by public sector workers was in protest at threats to their pension schemes, which employees have been paying six percent of their wages into for years.

Workers say the Government is refusing to pay out what it promised and members will have to keep paying out for pensions until they are 65.

There were, however, some strong feelings in Stroud, with the Tourist Information Service and the Museum in the Park shutting.

There was also an early morning picket at the district council's headquarters at Ebley Mill.

Strikers also protested outside a social services office in Beeches Green in Stroud.

But Mark Phelan, of UNISON's south west branch, insisted the action had impacted on Stroud.

"Disruption was much less obvious in Stroud than in bigger cities like Bristol but this does not mean to say services were unaffected," he said.

"We have been very pleased with how strikes went in Stroud even if they were a bit less visible."