Lead briefSEVEN Suffolk schools were closed today in a day of action to highlight the plight of low-paid local authority workers.Westbourne High School, Ipswich, Claydon High School, Thomas Wolsey and Belstead Special Schools, both in Ipswich, Stowupland High School, and two schools in Bury St Edmunds closed their doors.

By James Fraser

Lead brief

SEVEN Suffolk schools were closed today in a day of action to highlight the plight of low-paid local authority workers.

Westbourne High School, Ipswich, Claydon High School, Thomas Wolsey and Belstead Special Schools, both in Ipswich, Stowupland High School, and two schools in Bury St Edmunds closed their doors.

Netta Murray, Unison branch secretary, said the union had taken care to ensure that no-one would be put in a life-threatening situation as all residential care workers had been exempted from strike action as had other Unison members whose work involved people's safety.

The plight of low-paid local authority workers, many of whom are paid less than £13,000 a week, had to be highlighted, she said.