A WIDE range of services will shut down for two days as

council staff walk out in a dispute over pay.

Libraries, leisure services, city council offices and

allotments will close across Stoke-on-Trent during the strike

on Wednesday and Thursday.

Bereaved families will have no access to Carmountside

Crematorium, mortuary or care services.

The city mortuary will also close, though council officials

say necessary arrangements will be made.

Newcastle's Bradwell Crematorium will remain open.

Hanley Register Office will shut its doors, leaving people

to wait until the backlog clears to register births, marriages

and deaths.

Many local centres across the city will be out of action and

the dispute will also see Northwood Stadium and the Potteries

Museum and Art Gallery closed to the public.

Members of Unison and Unite voted for the strikes amid

claims the Government offer of a 2.45 per cent rise for local

authority employees would amount to a pay cut, as inflation is

running at between 3.3 and 4.3 per cent. Staff at Cheshire

County Council, Congleton Borough Council, Crewe and Nantwich

Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Stafford Borough

Council and Newcastle Borough Council will also walk out, but

these authorities have yet to specify the extent of service

shut-down in their areas.

City council officials say pre-arranged weddings and

funerals will still go ahead.

But residents fear the chaos could affect many vulnerable

families.

Joan Taylor, chairman of Chell Area Residents' Association,

said: “If you have been bereaved, this is going to be very

upsetting for the relatives, affecting people at the most

vulnerable time in their lives.

“Essential services like these should be kept open no matter

what, and there should be plans in place for that.

“These closures will create backlogs and give staff an extra

workload after the strikes.

“An awful lot of vital work done by the local centres will

be missed, such as dealing with re-housing and road problems

and reporting them to the council.

“Students will miss out on doing research in the libraries

and people could be fined for books being late if they are

unable to renew them online.”

Dave Burgess-Pearson, of Northwood Residents' Association,

pictured left, said: “Are officials at Carmountside

going to say, 'Sorry, we can't bury your relative that day

because the council is on strike?'

“Everyone is entitled to more pay, but they way they are

going about it will affect vulnerable people.”

Despite allotments being on the list of closed services on

the city council's website, officials now say they will be

available as usual.

It is not yet known how schools will be affected by the

strikes.

Final arrangements and closures will be announced next

week.

A council spokesman said: “Residents are asked to bear with

us during this time until normal service is resumed.”