UNIONS have claimed a one-day strike success as council workers brought parts of the county ground to a halt this morning.

Libraries, social services departments and some schools shut their doors as staff from three different unions struck over pay.

Refuse collection was also affected in two parts of the St John's district of Worcester.

Unison county branch secretary Adrian Gregson said services had been dramatically hit.

He said Worcester library, Malvern library, Worcester History Centre, Nunnery Wood High School and social services offices in Worcester and Bromsgrove were shut.

He added that not many people were working at County Hall, and social services departments in Kidderminster might remain closed, along with libraries and some schools in Kidderminster and Redditch.

Pleased

"Many places are shut this morning, and any places which are still open are providing a dramatically reduced service," he said.

"We're quite pleased with the support we've been given. Hopefully the message will get back to the Government and we'll be called back to the negotiating table."

Workers from Unison, the TGWU and the GMB called the one-day strike after the rejection of a 3 per cent pay deal.

Workers want a 6 per cent pay rise for rank-and-file public service staff.

A Worcester County Council spokesman said Unison had acted responsibly and no "life and limb" services had been affected.

Around 70 per cent of County Hall workers had shown up for work, but Manor Park, Riverside and Rose Hill schools were also shut.