Yesterday’s strike by benefits and pensions staff was a ‘fantastic success’ said the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
Jobcentres, benefit offices, pension centres and the Child Support Agency (CSA) were closed across the country yesterday as 80,000 PCS members went on strike on the first day of a two day stoppage over deteriorating service levels and job cuts in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The strike follows a breakdown in talks and a refusal by management to fully recognise the damage being wrought to services in its drive to slash 30,000 jobs by 2008.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said: ‘The fantastic show of support demonstrates that staff are not willing to stand by and see the services they deliver damaged by crude job cuts.’
On the morning picket line, Vince Mahon, a member of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), at the Elthorne Job Centre in north London, said: ‘The majority of people are out. There is a lot of support.’
PCS representative Pam Lightfoot added: ‘Claims aren’t being processed and calls are not being answered at call centres.
‘Pensions are suffering, the government are hitting the most vulnerable people in society. The feedback is very strong today.’
Anthony Williams told News Line before a London rally at Kings Cross: ‘It is solid at our office and everyone is out.
‘Blair’s not pursuing Labour policies: otherwise this wouldn’t be happening. There is no harm in the PCS joining other unions in solidarity action.’
Howard Fuller, PCS south west Thames branch secretary told News Line at Balham’s Job Centre Plus: ‘The major point of the dispute is to save our livelihoods from the Government’s cuts.
‘Over one thousand people have been sacked because of the sickness rules.
‘You get into trouble after eight days’ sickness. They’re using this as a way of getting rid of staff cheaply. They don’t want to pay redundancies.’
The chair of the West London Branch of the PCS, Chris Hulme, told News Line: ‘We are demanding a no-compulsion redundancy guarantee, which they are refusing to do.
‘They are refusing to slow down the cuts. They wanted 30,000 in 2004 and 17,000 have gone already.
In Hammersmith and Fulham we are being faced with privatisation of the Job Centres.
‘We would be transferred to either companies or voluntary sector organisations.
‘If this goes ahead we be calling for strike action across the twelve boroughs affected by privatisation.
