Enthusiastic support for call centres strike

18 April Hundreds of call centre workers supported the strike by PCS (civil service union) in the Department of Work and Pensions today over inhuman working conditions and a bad service to benefit claimants. The five call centres in Wales at Bangor, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Newport and Pembroke Dock were all heavily affected by a massive stay away by PCS members.

In Newport the picket line was bathed in sunshine as workers turned back from the picket line and refused to go into work. A group of managers completely failed to intimidate members into breaking the strike and were heavily outnumbered by pickets and by great support from the rest of the trade union movement. There was a number of discussions about how to bring about co-ordinated action on June 30^th when action over pensions is possible.

At Pembroke Dock a breakfast barbecue replaced the traditional pickets’ brazier as PCS members were supported by trade unionists and supporters from Swansea, Llanelli and Milford Haven.

In Bridgend there were over 20 pickets as members enthusiastically opposed what the DWP is trying to do to the service to claimants.

Pickets scoffed at the DWP statement that “we have to ensure that our service is available when our customers, who include some of the most vulnerable people in the country, need us”.

Katrine Williams DWP Group Vice President replied "The problem is that management obsessed with targets. We should be able to use our judgment about how long a call takes.

"We want to spend the right amount of time with the person on the phone. It's very difficult doing that - and we can potentially be disciplined if we spend too long on the phone with somebody.

"Most people would be pleased if we could actually answer and deal with the query on the phone the first time they ring up.

"It's a very complicated benefits system and navigating that is very difficult and what somebody doesn't want to have happen to them is be fobbed off on the phone and be rung back some number of hours later by another member of staff that's also very hard pressed.

"Management are absolutely adamant that the call-handling time targets and the number of calls we take is more important than how we deal with people on the phone."