Pension staff walk out over job threat

A secret document published in the national press this week suggested that large parts of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could be 'offshored' with work transferred to India or Eastern Europe after privatisation, claims the DWP has denied.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) had already voted for two days of strikes, today (Thursday) and tomorrow over privatisation and job cuts. The union claims a membership of more than 6,000 on the Fylde.

"This plan has never been discussed with the workers or unions, which is appalling," said Duncan Griftiths, secretary of the PCS Fylde Coast and Preston branch.

"The move by the Department for Work and Pensions threatens job losses and shows utter contempt for the workforce. It shows that plans to offshore work are well advanced and proves that there are no no-go areas for the Government in trying to achieve efficiency targets, reduce costs and cut jobs."

Branch chairman, Martin Jones, added: "I believe that is the DWP plan goes ahead it will be the first time a major Government department has looked overseas to run public services."

However, the Department for Work and Pensions has denied that it plans to move Fylde Coast work offshore.

"We have no plans to move any of our contact centres or any of our other services offshore. The note from the department's security team was produced on an entirely contingent basis, not in response to any specific proposals," a spokesman said.

More than 200 members of the PCS took part in industrial action at the NHS Pensions Service on Friday -- around 90 per cent of the Fleetwood-based department's workforce, the union claimed.

And more strikes could be set to hit the public sector in the near future as public services unions, including Unison and eight others, decided to ballot its members for a strike over pensions.

This week's strike action will not affect pension payments to members of the public.