Hammersmith and Fulham Council has produced a special page on its website providing updated information about public services on TUC's Day of Action on Wednesday, November 30.

The council says bin collections and street sweeping are currently expected to be operating as normal as are the majority of council services, but some schools and libraries may be forced to close.  Shepherd's Bush Library however has confirmed it will stay open.

As of Tuesday evening, the majority of schools have announced they are closing for the day.

Schools which will stay open are: ARK Conway,  Burlington Danes, Mile Coverdale, New King's,Queensmill, St Augustine's, St Mary's, West London Free School and William Morris. Hammersmith Academy meanwhile will be partly open - Year 12 will be open but not Year 7.

Other schools which will be partly open are Canberra, Flora Gardens, Fulham Cross, Henry Compton, Hurlingham and Chelsea, John Betts, Langford, Phoenix High, St Peter's, St Thomas of Canterbury and Woodlane. Parents are advised to contact the schools direct for further details.

Local hospital trusts have released their own statements about their services. Imperial College Healthcare Trust, which includes Charing Cross, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotts and Chelsea Hospital says:

" Many public sector unions have called for a national strike on Wednesday 30 November 2011. The dispute is not with the Trust but is part of a national campaign against Government proposals to change public sector pension schemes.The Trust will run as many services as possible on 30 November.

" However, we envisage that a proportion of elective procedures will be rescheduled. We have been working in partnership with our unions to ensure we can protect patient safety and minimise disruption to clinical services.

"Those patients affected will be notified in advance of their appointment. If you have not been notified of any changes to your appointment by Wednesday morning, please attend hospital as normal.

"If you have any queries about your appointment, please telephone the number on your appointment letter.Please also be aware that we envisage a high demand on the Trust’s switchboard throughout Wednesday 30 November, and this service will be prioritising emergency calls. If you do need to call our switchboard, please be patient during this period."

Chelsea and Westminster has released a statement, confirming it is not intending to cancel outpatient appointments or operations on Wednesday. Its statement says:

"As patients and members of the public will no doubt be aware, staff belonging to a number of public sector trade unions and professional associations have balloted in favour of taking industrial action this Wednesday 30 November. This includes unions and professional associations whose members work at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

" Our first priority is to our patients and we are working in partnership with trade union representatives in the Trust to minimise the impact on patients and their families of any industrial action that may take place.

" If the industrial action goes ahead on Wednesday, we will continue to provide as many services to patients as we can without compromising in any way the quality and safety of that care.

" The Trust is not planning to cancel outpatient appointments or planned (elective) operations that are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 30 November.

" If the situation changes, information will be publicised as widely as possible in advance to patients, the public and staff—the most up-to-date information will be available on this website.

" We recognise that staff who belong to trade unions and professional associations that have balloted at national level in favour of industrial action have the right to take industrial action on the day.

" We are working with their representatives to avoid disruption to patients and their families, including in the area immediately outside the hospital where there is likely to be a union picket all day and a union rally at lunchtime."

Strikers will stage a protest rally outside Hammersmith Town Hall in King Street from 11.15am.

 

November 29, 2011