Council services will come to a standstill as members of Unison, UNITE and the GMB stage industrial action on Wednesday, August 20.

The strike is in response to a national pay offer of 2.5 per cent - which the unions have rejected.

Schools

School support staff went on strike leaving most closed on the first day of term.

Only 10 schools will remain open: Dalkeith High School, St David's High School, Gorebridge Primary School, Lawfield Primary School, Loanhead Primary School, Moorfoot Primary School, St Margaret's Primary School, Stobhill Primary School, Strathesk Primary School and Tynewater Primary School.

All nursery schools will be closed.

Facilities - including leisure centres and libraries - are likely to remain closed to the public.

Care homes

Care Homes will be staffed as per minimum statutory requirement, but there will be no 'meals on wheels' provision or lunch clubs in operation and clients will have to make their own arrangements.

Home helps will still be available to visit the most vulnerable clients, but will carry out only vital tasks such as personal care.

Refuse collections

Grey and brown household bins will not be collected on Wednesday, August 20.

Residents should place bins at the kerbside by 7am on Thursday, August 21 and bins will be uplifted on either the Thursday or the Friday.

Recycling boxes due to be uplifted on Wednesday, August 20 will not be collected until Wednesday, August 27.

Bulky uplift services will be suspended from Wednesday, August 20 to Friday, August 22 inclusive.

Bulky uplifts can however still be booked on the council website.

The Council's Recycling Centres at Stobhill Depot, Newtongrange and Bellmans Road, Penicuik will be closed on Wednesday, 20 August 2008.

Vital

Around 100,000 UNISON members working for Scotland's local councils joined colleagues from other unions in taking the industrial action.

Stephanie Herd, chair of UNISON's Scottish local government service group, said: "Our members do not want to have to take strike action. They want to do what they do best – provide vital services to the people of Scotland.

For further information visit www.midlothian.gov.uk