SCHOOLS were shut and bins went unemptied today as local authority workers went on strike in a bitter row over pensions.

Queensgate Market in Huddersfield was among the casualties and remain- ed closed. Libraries and town halls across Kirklees were also hit.

More than one million council workers nationally walked out in the 24-hour stoppage.

More than 10,000 people in Kirklees were involved.

Strikers braved bitter weather to form picket lines in Huddersfield town centre and elsewhere.

They included civilian workers at the town's police station.

Many schools were forced to close because of the absence of dinner ladies, caretakers and support workers.

Paul Holmes, Kirklees branch secretary of the local government union Unison, said: "The strike is rock solid.

"I don't think there is a single member working anywhere."

The mood was bitter over pensions, he said.

Mr Holmes revealed that 500 people had joined the local branch of Unison in the last three weeks because of the issue.

"This is something that is not going to go away.

"There will be further industrial action unless this is resolved," he said.

Support staff picketing outside Huddersfield Police Station told of their anger over pension moves.

The unions are protesting at plans to scrap a rule which allows council staff to retire at 60 if their age and length of service adds up to 85 years.

One police civilian worker said: "Police, teachers and civil servants are protected, yet we are being forced to work until the age of 65.

"All members of staff should get the same treatment, regardless of rank - we should be supported as valid members of the community."

One housing worker outside Civic Centre 3 in Huddersfield said: "In a supposedly civilised country such as ours it is disgusting that we are forced to work until we drop dead.

"The money is available from central government - but it cherry picks what to spend its resources on.

"It simply does not view our pensions as a priority."

Unions were heralding the strike as the biggest in the UK for 80 years.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: "All we are asking for is the same kind of protection for council workers."

The Local Government Association says it would add at least 2% a year to every council tax bill.

But Mr Prentis said the claim was nonsense.

* A list of schools expected to be hit by the action and published in the Examiner yesterday was from the Kirklees Council website, but was changed during the course of yesterday.