FEW of us will emerge unaffected from tomorrow's strike. Thousands of parents across North and East Yorkshire are left wondering what to do with their children, set to enjoy an unexpected day off from school.

Those who put their bins out tomorrow will do so more in hope than expectation that they will be emptied.

Many other services could be hit in what is being billed as the biggest withdrawal of labour since the General Strike of 1926.

And the greater the disruption, the more effectively the unions will make their point: these "backroom" staff provide an essential service to all our lives, and deserve to be treated with more respect.

Dinner ladies, cleaners, nursery nurses, youth workers and others due to walk out tomorrow did not choose their jobs because of the salary. But while the wages are not impressive, the pension package is: under the current rules, many of those who have given long service can retire on full pension at 60.

The Government has guaranteed the retirement rights of teachers and health service workers, but it is seeking to move the pension goalposts of 1.5 million other public servants. No wonder these workers, hardly known for their militancy, are angry.

True, the pension fund deficit must be cut. The only fair way to do this is for the Government to meet its obligations to existing staff, and look to revise conditions for new workers.

Until a compromise is found, we will all suffer because more strikes are planned. Meanwhile ministers would do well to remember what happened the last time industrial action saw rubbish left uncollected on the streets: Labour was booted out of power for 18 years.

Updated: 09:49 Monday, March 27, 2006