Aylesbury job centre workers set for further week of strikes

They are among over 1,000 people who work at job centres who announced plans to go on strike this week.

Previously, employees at the centre on Sunley House took a week of industrial action from 17-23 June. A source involved with the strike action said people were ‘mad’ as the centre was closed during this period.

The GMB Union revealed that security staff working at job centres across the country were going on strike demanding better working conditions.

A key point of contention for workers, who are employed by security firm G4S, is that 90 per cent of them remain on minimum wage agreements.

The union says that security staff at job centres are subjected to verbal abuse on a daily basis, including threats to their families, racist and ablest abuse and death threats.

Data provided by GMB Union states that 83 per cent of workers said they had been verbally abused at work during the past 12 months, with 16 per cent reporting physical attacks.

Eamon O’Hearn, GMB national officer, said: “Job Centre security guards are punched, attacked and savaged in the neck by dogs – just for carrying out their duties.

“Yet 90 per cent of them struggle to get by on the minimum wage, while G4S trouser millions from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions).

“It’s abhorrent and these strikes will keep escalating unless G4S agrees to pay them a wage they can live on.”

In explaining the reason behind the strikes the union has also highlighted that the DWP has handed G4S £211 million to run security at job centres - despite employment costs being just £161 million during the same period.

G4S is urging union representatives to accept its latest pay offer which is above the minimum wage and above current inflation.

A spokesperson for the company told The Mirror: "Our contingency plans, agreed in partnership with DWP, have proved highly effective in maintaining a full service, and we continue to adapt them to ensure the safety of DWP locations, employees and the service users."

The DWP says benefit payments and telephone services will continue as normal despite the strikes.