02:04 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThousands of Jobcentre staff are going on strike in a row over working conditions and management targets.<\/p>\n
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) in 37 call centres are staging a 24-hour walk-out on Monday.<\/p>\n
They have accused management of showing “little willingness” to try to resolve the dispute.<\/p>\n
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it is disappointed at the decision to take industrial action.<\/p>\n
The action follows a two-day strike by union members at seven centres in January.<\/p>\n
Widening dispute<\/span><\/p>\nThe DWP announced a revamp of its telephone and benefit processing service in October 2009.<\/p>\n
The January action started after a decision to convert seven benefit processing offices into “contact centres”, with staff re-allocated to taking calls from the public.<\/p>\n
Since then the dispute has broadened to include staff at all 37 contact centres.<\/p>\n
In a ballot in March of the union’s 7,000 members who work in call centres, 70% of those who took part voted for strike action. The vote had a turnout of 43%.<\/p>\n
Although talks continued, they broke down earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The PCS says it wants to end a target-driven culture, particularly by changing the way “unrealistic” average call times are used.<\/p>\n
“We entered into negotiations in good faith because we care about the help and advice we give to some of the most vulnerable people in society,” said Jane Aitchison from the union.<\/p>\n
“It’s very disappointing that our management didn’t do the same.”<\/p>\n
The DWP says its staff have good terms of employment, and states that it uses performance measures “to ensure that performance and productivity are high”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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