Members of UNISON, Unite and the GMB called the strike after a dispute over pay and conditions.

Services all over Clydesdale were affected on Wednesday as union members braved the pouring rain and joined picket lines.

Carluke High School was one of the few schools that did open its doors although teachers were the only members of staff on duty.

Around 35 employees were at the picket line as pupils and teachers made their way into the building.

One union member said: "The school will not have a first aider to deal with accidents.

"There are pupils in the school with serious medical conditions who are usually cared for by the people on strike. No provision has been made for this.

"The government are supposed to ensure children have a clean safe and environment in which to learn. That is not the case today."

By late Monday, parents were fuming at the lack of notice being given of school closures — leaving them with insufficient time to make childcare arrangements if necessary.

Despite it being known for weeks that public service unions were to hold a one-day strike in support of their wage claims, it was only on Tuesday afternoon that the council said which of its schools would be affected by the action.

This left thousands of parents with little or no advance warning and left little time to make arrangements about the care of their youngsters.

One angry parent from Lanark phoned the Gazette on Monday afternoon to say that his children had just arrived home from school without the note he expected to say whether or not to keep them at home on Wednesday.

"This is chaos. South Lanarkshire Council has known for weeks that this action was planned and, now, with just a school day to go to the strike, they still can't tell parents what's happening.

''At the very best now, they'll send the kids home on Tuesday with some sort of message but that leaves parents with 14 hours warning of what is to happen,'' he said.

''I'm thinking of the perhaps hundreds of parents who won't look in their child's schoolbag and notice the note sent home with them.

''There are others who will find re-arranging their work schedule very difficult at such short notice.''

Although teaching unions are not involved, vital support staff such as janitors and school meals staff are.

A council spokeswoman said that its hands were tied in getting the information to parents until the talks were completed — they were still on-going on Tuesday morning.

But the spokesman said the council would do its utmost to get information to parents that afternoon.

The council was also able to furnish the Gazette with a list of schools which would remain open.

Those in Clydesdale which remained open were: Abington, Auchengray, Bent, Braidwood, Coalburn, Coulter, Crawford, Douglas, Lamington, Libberton, Stablestone, and Tinto; Carluke High and Lesmahagow High School.

All council nurseries were closed.

Clydesdale's libraries were also closed, as were all community halls and there were e no burials or cremations.

Arrangements were being made to minimise disruption for burials and cremations on Thursday.

Welfare meals were prepared and delivered as normal, but all social work adult day care centres and day care centres for older people were closed.