HARROW COUNCIL says it is 'making every effort' to keep strike disruption to a minimum today, as dozens of schools and local services shut down.

The authority has made a statement on its website surrounding the strike action, which is taking place up and down the country in response to Government proposals to change public sector pension schemes.

Approximately 70 UNISON members are on strike at Northwick Park Hospital and Central Middlesex Hospitals with management reporting everything running as normal except for a reduced physiotherapy department and laboratory services for GPs.

The majority of lecturers at Harrow College have withdrawn their labour, including University and College Union branch chairman Steve Hayward, who is leading a picket line outside the college's Harrow on the Hill Campus in Lowlands Road, Harrow.

He said: "It's part of a national day of action for the public sector pensions dispute.

"The government wants to raise our contributions by 50 per cent, defer the retirement age and give us less pensions.

"It's 'Pay more, work longer, get less' and our members are very angry and feel betrayed."

Harrow Council's UNISON members are staging a mock funeral complete with a coffin and the Grim Reaper outside Harrow Civic Centre in Station Road, Harrow, to symbolise "the death of the public sector pension".

There are no waste or recycling collections in Harrow today and the council has apologised for any inconvenience.

Residents who normally have a collection on a Wednesday are being asked to leave their bins out with the council aiming to collect them as soon as possible.

The Civic Amenity Site (tip) is also closed and is likely to be very busy on Thursday and Friday.

Due to the closure of Grange Primary School, the Grange Children's Centre will not open today, but all other children's centres are open.

In terms of adult social care, the meals on wheels services will be operating normally today, but the Special Needs Transport Service will be closed. The council says that all service users have been notified.

The Civic Centre Library and Gayton Library is open as normal, with all other branch libraries always closing on Wednesdays.

All leisure centres are open as normal today.

At the time the council posted the update, 22 schools had confirmed they would be closed.

The council said: "Other schools will also be affected and may be closed or part closed. Schools have notified parents of any changes to their normal day and parents should keep checking the latest situation with their child's school."

The schools with confirmed closure are:

Salvatorian College

Aylward Primary School

Cannon Lane First School (4-7 years)

Earlsmead Primary School

Glebe Primary School

Grange Primary School

Heathland School

Krishna-Avanti Primary School

Marlborough Primary School

Roxeth Primary School

St.Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

St.George's Primary Catholic School, Harrow

St.Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Stanburn First School 4-7 years

Stanburn Junior School

Vaughan Primary School

Weald Infant and Nursery School

Welldon Park Junior School

West Lodge Primary School

Alexandra School

Kingsley High School

Woodlands School

Anyone wanting to find out more can visit www.harrow.gov.uk

Are you taking part in the strike action today? What do you think about the strikes and how do they affect you?

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