Mullingar Public Service

All county council services - including the fire brigade - will operate on an emergency-only basis next Tuesday, as Mullingar workers join public sector colleagues in the biggest one-day strike the country has seen for decades.Speaking on Monday, IMPACT secretary for Westmeath, Denis Rohan said that the County Council had been informed that members would be operating a 'Christmas Day' service, which means that they will only work in the case of an emergency.County Council corporate services head Roibeard Ó Ceallaigh confirmed that all council offices would be shut on November 24 as the body was unable to guarantee a minimum standard of services on the day.Schools across Mullingar and Westmeath will also shut down as teachers take the day to express their outrage at what trade union chiefs have called the "vilification of the public sector".A whopping four out of five teachers from ASTI, INTO and the TUI unions voted to take the strike action overall in a ballot that took place last week.Press officers for the three trade unions could not give an exact breakdown of members who would be going on strike in Mullingar but INTO has 650 members in Midlands alone all of whom will be absent from classes on November 24.A joint statement released from the general secretaries of all three unions said that primary, secondary and further education teachers had never before faced such a threat to their pay and pensions.INTO Executive member for Westmeath, Helen O'Gorman said primary school teachers had not taken the step lightly but were no longer prepared to sit by and watch as they were "scapegoated"This sends a very clear message to government that primary teachers reject their economic recovery plan," said Helen. "Teachers are not prepared to be scapegoated and forced to make an unfair and disproportionate contribution to national recovery.""Teachers, like other public servants are willing to play their part in a programme for economic recovery," said Helen."They are not prepared to be targeted while those with wealth escape."More than 65,000 teachers and lecturers working in primary schools, second-level schools, further education colleges and third level institutions will participate in the one-day strike on November 24 called by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.