MORE than 40 Worcestershire schools are set to close as teachers prepare to join other public sector workers on strike over pension reforms.

That number could yet rocket as nine public sector trade unions have already notified Worcestershire County Council they intend to strike on Wednesday, November 30.

The strike action is a result of government-proposed changes to public sector workers’ pensions and, if it results in the biggest day of industrial unrest since 1979 as some expect, could cause widespread disruption across the county and cost people money, especially parents whose childen will not be able to attend school that day.

Bryn Griffiths, secretary of Worcester Trades Union Council, said: “We don’t want to go on strike.

“It disrupts the public and costs ourselves money to go on strike but we don’t believe the Government is interested in entering a serious discussion about pensions.”

Trade unionists are angry at proposals that will see public sector pension contributions rise while paying out less. The retirement age will also be deferred until 68.

Unions believe the Government’s real motive is to gain extra income that will then be used to shore up public finances.

Responding to the argument that the public sector should, like the private sector, tighten its belt and make cuts, Mr Griffiths said: “What the Government is trying to do is cut public sector pensions to make them as bad as the private sector.

“It’s a race to the bottom.

“If you cut public sector pensions, when these people retire what are they going to do for income? They are going to look to the State so it’s just bad economics.”

It is still possible that the strike could be called off but Worcestershire County Council’s directorates are drawing up their own contingency plans and looking at ways of covering critical areas such as services to children and vulnerable adults.

The NHS in Worcestershire is due to hold meetings later this week while Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is not expecting the strike to have too much impact on it as the majority of operational staff are not represented by unions proposing strike action.

SCHOOLS ON STRIKE

• Abbeywood First School
• Redditch Bayton CE Primary School
• Kidderminster Birchen Coppice Primary School
• Kidderminster Birchensale Middle School, Redditch
• Bishop Perowne CE College, Worcester
• Blackminster Middle, Evesham
• Chadsgrove School and Specialist Sports College, Bromsgrove
•Cherry Orchard Primary School, Worcester
•Clifton-upon-Teme Primary School
• Cookley Sebright Primary School, Cookley, near Kidderminster
• Dodford First, Bromsgrove
• Eldersfield Lawn CE Primary, near Ledbury
• Elmley Castle CE First, near Pershore
• Fort Royal Community Primary School, Worcester
• Hagley Catholic High, Stourbridge
• Holywell Primary and Nursery School, Rubery – Partial closure
• Malvern Wells CE Primary School – Partial closure
• Matchborough First, Redditch
• Meadows First, Bromsgrove – Partial closure
• Moon’s Moat First, Redditch
• North Bromsgrove High, Bromsgrove Northleigh CE Primary, Malvern
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary, Worcester – Partial closure
• Parkside Middle, Bromsgrove
• Pendock CE Primary, near Ledbury
• Perdiswell Primary, Worcester
• Rigby Hall School, Bromsgrove
• Roman Way First School,
• Redditch St Ambrose Catholic Primary, Kidderminster
• St Egwin’s CE Middle School, Evesham
• St John’s CE Foundation Middle School, Bromsgrove
• St George’s CE Primary and Nursery, Kidderminster
• St George’s Catholic Primary, Worcester
• St Luke’s CE First School, Redditch
• Swan Lane First School, Evesham – Partial closure
• The Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre
• Upper Arley CE Primary School, Bewdley
• Westacre Middle, Droitwich
• Witton Middle, Droitwich
• Wolverley Sebright Primary, Kidderminster