Thousands of schools, jobcentres, tax offices and courts are set to be closed or badly disrupted by Thursday's public sector pensions' strike.
The scale of the impact of a 24-hour walkout by up to 750,000 teachers, lecturers, civil servants and other workers became clear as parents across England and Wales were told to make alternative arrangements.
Driving tests will also be cancelled and customs checks at ports affected, while picket lines will be mounted outside Government departments.
A survey by the Press Association revealed more than 3,700 schools in 80 areas will be affected by the industrial action being taken by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).
If these figures are replicated across England, it means that over 7,500 schools will be forced to close or partially close, while a strike by members of the University and College Union (UCU) is expected to cause "significant disruption" at 350 colleges and 75 universities, according to the union.
The Government has said "rigorous" contingency plans were in place to ensure essential services are maintained during the strike.
But the National Association of Head Teachers has expressed "grave concerns" about a call by Education Secretary Michael Gove that parents could volunteer to cover for striking teachers. General secretary Russell Hobby said: "It is probably not unlawful but we would strongly advise our members not to accept voluntary help to cover for absent staff this Thursday."
The Public and Commercial Services union said it expected its members in jobcentres, tax office Government departments, driving test centres, ports, courts and airports will strongly support the strike.
A meeting on Monday between ministers and union leaders made some progress on the future of the local government pension scheme, but the talks were described as a "farce" by PCS leader Mark Serwotka, accusing the Government of having no interest in negotiating on plans to cut pensions, extend the retirement age and increase contributions.
Prime Minister David Cameron will be setting out the Government's position on public sector pensions in a speech later on Tuesday.
Article Source KBG Test Blog (http://rc.kbg.me)
