LAWRENCE Bellamy is associate dean at the University of Chester's Padgate Campus.

This week in his column, he talks about the perils of strike action.

INDUSTRIAL action is seldom entered into lightly.

The strikes of July 10 caused disruption to schools, transport and other essential services.

They were costly for both those who lose pay and for those who have to make alternative arrangements for childcare or travel.

With more than 20 schools in Warrington closing, many favours from family and friends will have been called in to help working parents.

The summer timing within schools should hopefully not hit curriculum delivery or exams too hard.

With the national economy now show clear signs of growth Unions argue that pay-rises are becoming more affordable again.

However, with national pay agreements there are impacts which do not take into account local factors.

Some local economies are still struggling, luckily Warrington’s is comparatively strong.

An additional factor too is the position on interest rates announced by the Bank of England, long term rises are forecast, but expected to be moderate.

So overall although the term ‘austerity’ is being used less, the legacy remains and is expected to do so for the foreseeable future.

If you work in the public sector, money is likely to remain tight for some time yet, even if locally things are looking up.