COUNCIL chiefs have outlined how services will be affected when dozens of staff take part in the largest national strike for 80 years.Employees of St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council will be among those taking part in the one-day Unison strike in protest at proposed national changes to pension schemes.

COUNCIL chiefs have outlined how services will be affected when dozens of staff take part in the largest national strike for 80 years.

Employees of St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Forest Heath District Council will be among those taking part in the one-day Unison strike in protest at proposed national changes to pension schemes.

In Forest Heath - where about a tenth of the 500 full and part-time workers are expected to take part in Tuesday's action - it has been announced that Mildenhall Swimming Pool will be closed. Council offices in Brandon and Newmarket will also shut for the day.

Tony Pierce, the council's strategic director of services, said: “A majority of our customers will not be affected however it may not be possible to, for example, make a cash payment or receive bus passes on that day.

“We will do our best to keep services operating as efficiently as normal and the answers to many questions customers pose can be found on our website - www.forest-heath.gov.uk . We apologise for any disruption this one day strike may cause.”

Officials at St Edmundsbury Borough Council said they were currently not anticipating too many problems from the strike.

A spokesman said: “About 28% of our staff are in a recognised union but not all will be taking part in the strike.

“We are working hard to make sure our essential services continue and we are not aware of any immediate impact to services.

“We will only become aware of any problems on the morning of the strike and if there are any, we will be updating our website - www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk.”

The strike has been called in protest at proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

The row centres on scrapping the '85 year rule' which means that if a local government worker has clocked up at least 25 years service they can retire at 60.

The walk out is set to be the largest industrial action since the General Strike in 1926 and could see school closures as well as having a significant impact on services across the country.