Universal Credit Staff Back Strike

Staff working on the Government's flagship Universal Credit programme are to strike for two days over claims of "increasingly oppressive'' working conditions.

Around 1,500 members of the Public and Commercial Services union in Glasgow and Bolton, will walk out next Monday and Tuesday.

The union said its members have complained about a lack of resources, an oppressive management culture, inadequate training, hard to reach targets and staff shortages.

In a recent ballot, 84% voted for strikes and 90% voted for other forms of industrial action on a 56% turnout.

The two-day strike will be followed by industrial action short of a strike until mid-August.

The union has not ruled out balloting its members at the other universal credit sites in Bangor, Basildon, Dundee, Makerfield and Middlesbrough.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The introduction of universal credit has been a textbook example of how not to reform essential public services, and the DWP's handling of every aspect of it has been disastrous.

"These harsher working conditions must be withdrawn, they simply heap more pressure on staff who have battled against poor IT, inadequate training and a lack of resources.''