Walkout!

Picket lines were set up from as early as 4am as services provided by Swindon Council were either withdrawn or reduced.

Binmen and other Swindon Services staff, who would normally have been starting their rounds, formed the early picket line at Barnfield tip.

Two refuse lorries did pass through shortly after 6am, defying instructions from senior managers who told them not to bother because residents had been asked not to put their bins out.

Other protests followed at dozens of locations across the town, including at the Oasis Leisure Centre, Civic Offices in Euclid Street, Premier House in Station Road and at Hreod Parkway School in Moredon.

The 2,000-plus workers involved in the walkout were among 1.2 million council staff around the country taking part in the biggest national strike since 1979.

It was organised by three public service unions Unison, GMB and T&GWU which rejected a three per cent offer from the Government.

The unions wanted a six per cent or £1,750 pay rise for all local authority workers, to bring the minimum wage in local government to £11,170 a year.

The strike hit most of the council's frontline services.

Brimble Hill Special School was the only school forced to close after council support staff walked out.

Spring Gardens and Brunel North multi-storey car parks closed, together with Wroughton park and ride. Also closed were Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, West Swindon Library, Lydiard House, the Safer Swindon Shop and all council offices except the Civic Offices, which was offering a limited public service only.

There was no refuse collection and those who usually have Wednesday collections will now have to wait until next week.

Many other services were operating on a skeleton staff, although emergency services were not compromised.

Unison convenor Roger Averies, who is based at Swindon Services, joined the early-rising workers at Barnfield Road today.

He said: "The feeling among workers here is very strong. About 85 per cent of Swindon Services staff are supporting the strike and there's a solid support in other departments.

"Two-thirds of council staff are on less than £13,000, so we have an entirely sensible and justified claim. We're in a position where some workers are on the bread line.

"The staff shortages and skills gaps are getting too commonplace now. Nobody really wants strike action, but if they don't increase pay to a reasonable level, councils will continue to struggle to recruit staff and services will suffer.

"I'm sure we will get the support of the general public, because they want better services as well."

Unison branch secretary Geraldine Fernandez was co-ordinating the strike with regional Unison rep Ken Oasgood. They were planning to visit all the picket lines around town during the day.

Ms Fernandez said: "There has been a lot of soul-searching among our members, but we've just about had enough now.

"People don't realise that people who look after some of the most vulnerable people and do some of the most important jobs are also some of the lowest paid. Hopefully Swindon Borough Council will start to take notice now."

National leaders from Unison have vowed that further stoppages will follow if the Government does not budge on the pay claim.

Geoff Pearce, council head of core personnel, said senior staff were monitoring the strike throughout the day to assess the impact on services.