Jobcentre staff strike over attacks

Thousands of social security staff in London launched a 48-hour strike today in protest against a "lack of safety facilities" in their new offices.

A spate of attacks at branches across the capital has prompted workers from 500 London offices to take part in the nationwide strike.

As many as 20,000 London workers are protesting against new open- plan offices introduced last September in which security screens were removed.

Workers fear the number of violent attacks - about 160 across the country every year - will rise.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union which organised the strike, said: "Ministers and Jobcentre Plus management have ignored genuine staff concerns and allowed a dispute over basic safety at work to escalate into the biggest civil service industrial action in 15 years.

"Almost 300,000 working days will now have been lost in Jobcentres and benefits offices since September last year. But workers have still not been assured of protection from attacks in the new open-plan offices."