Jobcentre strike goes on in row over conditions

MORE than 300 workers at a Jobcentre Plus call centre in Scotland will continue a 48-hour strike today in a row over working conditions.

The Glasgow walkout is part of a co-ordinated UK-wide strike by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at seven sites.

About ten PCS union representatives yesterday stood outside the Jobcentre Plus call centre in Atlas Road, Springburn, Glasgow.

Union officials estimated that 325 of the 340 staff at the call centre had not turned up for work.

Robert Muir, the PCS branch secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions in Glasgow, said staff were extremely angry. "They have cut back on their flexible working hours, they have cut back on their lunch breaks.

He added: "They are under a great deal of pressure to deal with the public's calls in a very small amount of time. They are not giving the service that the public used to get when they used to come into the offices, and they used to be able to get their case dealt with on a one-to-one basis."