A STRIKE by civil servants is continuing on Wednesday, hitting employment and benefit agencies.

Staff from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Prison Service are staging a two-day walkout because of "unsatisfactory" pay offers.

The action is being taken by members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, who have already undertaken overtime bans and a work-to-rule.

More than 5,000 administrative workers based at job centres, benefit agencies and child support agencies throughout Greater Manchester are expected to strike. Under an imposed pay deal, the starting salary for an administrative assistant with the DWP is £10,300.

Prison Service members are also due to join the walkout, while staff from the Office for National Statistics are staging a one-day strike, and returned to work on Wednesday.

Mr David Wilkinson, Senior National Officer for the PCS, said they had come up against a brick wall when seeking talks with management over their disputes.

"Strike action is not a step we take lightly, but members feel they have been left with no other option as they face below-inflation pay offers imposed by management, and the entrenchment of discriminatory bonus schemes in both the Department of Work and Pensions and Office of National Statistics."