PCS: Jobcentre union response to unemployment figures

Wednesday, 21 January 2009 12:00 AM

Today's figures showing a rise in unemployment to 1.92 million prompted the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) to urge the government to start re-opening closed Jobcentres to deal with rising unemployment.

The union also asked why the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was still going ahead with plans to close, Feltham, Orpington and Brixton Hill jobcentres, despite a government promise to stop the jobcentre closure programme.

With jobcentres already under severe strain, the union warned that the government's promise of 6,000 extra jobcentre staff and a halt to jobcentre closures wouldn't be enough to deal with the increasing numbers of unemployed.

As the recession deepens, PCS also criticised the government's Welfare Reform Bill, arguing that jobs not punitive sanctions were needed, warning that the bill would drive people into poverty and stigmatise those who needed the most help.

The union went on to warn that the private sector had neither the skills nor the capacity to help people back to work, maintaining that privatisation shifted the emphasis of the welfare state to put profits before people.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Jobcentre workers are working tirelessly on the frontline, helping people cope with the recession. Jobcentres are at breaking point and the government need to go further than merely taking staffing back to 2005 levels and stopping office closures. The government need to get ahead of the game by putting more staff into jobcentres and by re-opening offices to ensure the growing numbers of unemployed get the help and support they need.

"It is ludicrous that the department are still closing jobcentres, despite the government's promise to halt their closure. This is why I have written to James Purnell, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, asking for an urgent meeting to ensure that there are enough jobcentres and staff to support those who find themselves out of work."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978216.

PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

Between 2004 and 2007 the number of staff in Jobcentre Plus was cut by 18,000.

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