Industrial Action - 28 March 2006

Herefordshire Council is doing everything it can to minimise the disruption to local people caused by a national day of industrial action on Tuesday 28 March.

However, some services will inevitably be affected and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Refuse collections in the following areas are not taking place today:

• Hereford City
• Ledbury
• Bromyard
• Ross-on-Wye
• Rural areas of south Herefordshire

Catch-up collections will take place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. Homeowners in these areas are being asked to leave their refuse out for collection.

Collections in north Herefordshire are taking place today as normal.

Most INFO shops are open. These are: Garrick House, Hereford (except the cash office), Ross-on-Wye, Leominster, Bromyard and Kington - although the Ledbury INFO shop has not opened.

The Registrars at Hereford and Ledbury are open, although Electoral Registration at Leominster is closed.

Library and museums, arts facilities and Tourist Information Centres are open as normal.

Social care children’s services are maintaining a reasonable level of coverage and these include the duty, disability, aftercare and long term care teams.

While the Hollybush Family Centre is closed, Childcare Services, and Fostering and Adoption Services, are maintaining a service.

Students Services are also working to provide a service and the School Improvement Service is providing cover.

Schools closed are: Brampton Abbotts Primary School, St Martin’s Primary School, Leominster Infants School, Leominster Junior School, Aylestone High School, Haywood High School, Weobley High School, Whitecross High School, Blackmarston School and Westfield School.

Services for adults with learning disabilities have been disrupted at St Owen’s Day Centre but limited capacity will be there to support those with greatest needs. At Marshfields, service is limited to people who live with family carers only. The social care hospital teams will be providing cover.

Our housing advice teams and private sector housing are working to maintain a service. Services to business are not expected to be disrupted.

The council’s corporate services will be operating a close to normal service throughout the day, including emergency planning, legal, policy, human resources, communications and administration.

Arrangements in place to ensure main sites at the Town Hall, Shirehall, Brockington, Bath Street, Blackfriars and Old Priory are open.

Many environmental services are working to provide a service – including Building Control who will still be available for call out for dangerous structures and Building Conservation will be operating but with some staffing shortages.

Revenues and Benefits services will be disrupted. The cash offices at the Town Hall and Garrick House in Hereford are closed. The Council politely requests that people with Council Tax inquiries please phone tomorrow.

Environmental Protection, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Markets and Fairs, Travellers’ Service and Animal Health and Welfare services are providing normal services

There are no service disruptions to Bereavement Services.

The one-day strike is in protest to government proposals to reform the local government pension scheme and because it is a national dispute, council services will be affected all over the country.

Herefordshire Council has little direct influence over the national action but will be working to keep the local impact of the dispute to a minimum. Again we thank you for your co-operation and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

The council’s switchboard - on (01432) 260000 - will do all it can to answer calls during the day of industrial action.