STRIKING job centre workers in East Lancashire have warned that the disruption could last until the New Year.

Staff at the Job Centre Plus Office in Blackburn and the job centres in Burnley and Accrington, joined workers across the country in striking to protest at dangerous working conditions yesterday.

The two-day walk out by staff is the latest stage in a strike process dating back to October. Around 15 of the 70 staff were outside the building in Penny Street, Blackburn, yesterday.

When a number of Job Centres were updated to become Job Centre Plus offices, part of the design included removing protective glass screens from around desks.

But staff argued that the screens were needed to protect them from angry members of the public, and now the Public and Commercial Services union (PSU) has called on its thousands of members to stage the two-day walk out. Blackburn, Burnley, and Accrington offices are all involved in the strike.

Ian Gallagher, Blackburn union representative for the PSU, said: "The union said we should strike for up to five days a calendar month. That is out of our hands at a local level. We're anticipating if this action in December doesn't lead to negotiations it's inevitable for further action in January.

"The union is trying to strike a balance between industrial pressure and impact on the public."

Fears had been raised that strike action could affect staff maternity leave and benefit, but Mr Gallagher said he thought any impact would be small.

He said: "The employer has written to people with the consequences of taking action. What they are saying is in order to qualify for the maternity benefit you have to have been in employment for 12 months. Strike action is not counted, so if you have two days striking it takes two days longer to qualify for benefit."

Mr Gallagher said the union will be reducing the number of people on strike but action at Blackburn's Orchard House will be continued, as it is one of the offices in dispute over working conditions.

Front-line worker Laurie Farrar said: "We're just disappointed the Government doesn't seem to want to negotiate us over the screens.

"We all think there should be an area that should be screened. It's always an issue, and one we are concerned about. Members of the union are abiding by the democratic decision taken by the union."

But Government Work and Pensions Secretary Alistair Darling said: "The union must know this cannot be a pain-free action. This is a futile dispute that is damaging to staff and customers and has already cost the union more than £3 million."