MORE than 1,300 civil servants in the Leigh area took part in last Thursday's one day strike over government plans to axe over 100,000 jobs nationally.

The one-day strike, which is the biggest in a generation, was called by Britains largest civil service union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at a time when civil servants are face not only losing their jobs but changes to their terms and conditions, sick absence arrangements and the prospect of working longer to receive their pension.

Social Security, Jobcentre and tax offices shut last Thursday in an area within the frontline of the cuts with the proposed closure of the Social Security Offices in Leigh and Wigan meaning the possible loss of over 250 jobs.

Steve Finch, branch secretary for the DWP Wigan area branch, said: "The message of our campaign is that the government cant arbitrarily cut staff without it having a negative impact on local public services such as benefit payments, tax credits, prisons or the courts as well as the local economy.

"The people the government are seeking to axe aren't bowler-hatted Sir Humphries based in Whitehall or faceless bureaucrats; they provide vital services that touch everybodys lives from cradle to grave.

"They work as a team delivering the things we take for granted, such as your driving licence, passport or child benefit. Collecting the taxes to pay for hospitals and schools, stopping drugs from flowing into the country and making sure people get their winter fuel payments doesnt happen by magic."