Union sets ultimatum – or more public sector strikes

The public sector union PCS will escalate its industrial action at Jobcentre Plus contact centres, if the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) does not improve working conditions.

Staff walked out at seven Jobcentre Plus offices on Thursday and Friday (20 and 21 February).

PCS Vice-President Katrine Williams says the union is ready to extend the strikes to the 25 other contact centres across the UK.

Contact centre staff are unhappy at the way that managers look over their shoulder, and put targets ahead of good service.

Katrine Williams was on strike from the Newport office herself.

The other walkouts were at the Bristol, Norwich, Makerfield, Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow offices – where staff had recently been compulsorily transferred from administering benefits to answering phones.

PCS says 2,400 walked out on Thursday, and it expected a similar turnout for Friday.

Jobcentre Plus is run by the DWP, which issued a statement about the strikes:

“We are disappointed that some staff, only 21% across the centres, have decided to take industrial action. No jobs will be at risk through these changes. The contact staff at DWP will continue to receive good terms of employment including generous holidays.

“We are modernising our telephone and benefit processing service. There will be no change to the way benefits are paid, however it will mean that customers will get a better service than at present when they phone with a benefit enquiry.”

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