Lincoln DWP staff to walk out for two weeks

Union leader Fran Heathcote says staff have given "decades of dedicated service"

Civil servants will walk out next week over the planned closure of a centre run by the Department for Work and Pensions, with the potential loss of 80 jobs, according to a union.

Workers at the Lincoln City Hall Service and Support Centre, which is due to close in May, will go on strike from 4 to 17 November.

Fran Heathcote, of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), said members were "being cast aside with little remorse" despite "giving decades of dedicated service to the DWP".

A spokesperson for the DWP said the closure would have no impact on Lincoln Jobcentre, and staff made redundant would be helped to find new jobs in government departments.

A ballot was held earlier this month, with 37 of 60 PCS members taking part. The union said 86% voted in favour of strike action.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, PCS described the closure as a "callous decision" that would take away local services.

The union said the next nearest service centre was 40 miles (about 65km) away, meaning redeployment would be challenging for staff.

The service centre is based at City Hall in Lincoln

Bradley Wall, secretary of Lincoln and District Trades Council, said the decision to strike showed "the strength, pride and determination of Lincoln's workforce".

"Closing this office would be a betrayal, not just of the staff but of Lincolnshire itself," he added.

The DWP previously said the workers affected did not see customers face to face and the changes were part of a move towards "fewer, larger, more economically viable sites".

A spokesperson said: "The closure of Lincoln City Hall Service and Support Centre will have no impact on Lincoln Jobcentre, which remains fully operational, nor on the vital services we deliver to customers.

"We continue to engage with trade union representatives to support colleagues, with redeployment opportunities wherever possible."

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