Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Refuse collections in Carmarthenshire due to be made today will be done by Saturday. Due to the national strike, there are no collections in the county today. However, householders are being reassured that every effort will be made to collect them by Saturday. People whose normal collection day is today (Thursday) are advised to put their refuse and/or recycling and food bins out tomorrow (Friday). The council is aiming to start collecting them tomorrow and complete it by Saturday. Follow @CarmsCouncil on Twitter and Facebook for updates as they are announced.

Some disruptions to public services in Carmarthenshire are expected on Thursday due to a strike. A number of county council staff belong to unions including GMB, Unite, Unison and the National Union of Teachers which are all striking for higher pay. Refuse collections are not likely to take place. Residents who usually have their rubbish (blue/black bags and food waste bins) collected on Thursdays are being advised not to put them out on that date and to place them out for collection on Saturday, July 12. The county’s five household waste recycling centres at Trostre (Llanelli); Wernddu, (Ammanford); Nantycaws, (Carmarthen); Whitland and Llangadog, will remain open. Registry offices in Ammanford and Llanelli will be closed, however the Carmarthen office will remain open and all calls will be transferred there. The county archives services will also be closed. Theatres will be open as usual, although Coedcae School’s production of ‘We Will Rock You’ at Ffwrnes Theatre has been ...

The Hywel Dda Health Board is making plans to maintain essential services following Unite's announcement of a strike on Thursday 10 May 2012. Health chiefs have warned of possible disruption to healthcare services but at this stage is not planning to cancel any outpatient appointments. Plans are already being put in place to minimise disruption to patients, without compromising quality and safety, although there may be some delays in being seen. Janet Wilkinson, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at Hywel Dda Health Board said: “Due to the proposed industrial action, we are preparing how we can continue to provide as many services as possible and maintain the safety of patients in our care with a reduced number of staff. “Based on the information we currently have, we are not planning on cancelling outpatient appointments however there may be some delays for patients due to a shortage of staff in specific service areas (such as pathology, pharmacy and estates). W...