Widespread disruption as strikers walk out

Scotland was last night braced for a day of disruption, as public-sector strikers prepared to organise picket lines at government buildings, the parliament, tax offices, job centres and the Faslane nuclear base.

Schools will be closed today and councils will operate reduced services as trades unionists attend rallies and form picket lines “from the Borders to the Shetlands”.

The Scottish Government resilience committee will meet this morning to discuss how to minimise the impact of the industrial action called by unions in protest over plans to make public sector workers contribute more to their pension funds.

The committee has said the public will inevitably be inconvenienced.

All museums, galleries, libraries and community centres will close in Edinburgh, as well as all libraries in Shetland and some in Aberdeen, where the city’s Central Library and art gallery will be closed.

Council-run day centres for older people and those with disabilities will be closed in Glasgow, but residential services are expected to operate as normal in most local authority areas.

Driving test centres, swimming pools and waste services are all expected to be disrupted.

A spokesman for local authority umbrella body Cosla said: “Councils will be putting all of their resources into protecting services to vulnerable people on 30 November.

“Across Scotland, detailed contingency plans are in place to reflect the reality on the ground and address health and safety considerations.”