Job Centre guards hold fresh strike in pay dispute

GMB members in Sheffield are among security guards taking a fifth week of strike action

Hundreds of security guards at Job Centres in Yorkshire have begun a week-long strike in a long-running dispute over pay.

The GMB union said the action in West, South, North and East Yorkshire, was part of UK-wide strikes involving 1,500 members who were security guards as part of a contract between the Job Centre and G4S.

A union spokesperson said 90% of its members who were G4S workers at Job Centres were paid only the minimum wage, despite "regularly facing attacks and abuse at work".

G4S, which previously said it had made a pay offer to staff which was "above" both minimum wage and the rate of inflation, has been approached by the BBC for comment.

Job Centres in Sheffield, Barnsley, Leeds, York, Bradford, Hull, Huddersfield, Halifax and Scarborough were among those affected by the strike action.

Benefits, state pensions and telephone services would not be affected by the strike action, the DWP said

The GMB Union said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had given G4S £21m to run security at Job Centres "despite employment costs being just £161m during the same period".

Laura Maughan, GMB organiser, said Job Centre guards deserved "a proper, living wage and professional respect" and were being let down "on all fronts".

"As front-line staff, these workers are often subjected to verbal and physical harassment," she said.

"It's a difficult and dangerous job, and it’s time they were shown the respect they deserve.

"As we go into the fifth week of this dispute, G4S must realise we are not going to back down."

Ms Maughan said G4S needed to offer its guards "a living wage that puts an end to poverty pay for these workers".

The DWP said benefits, state pensions, other payments and telephone services would not be affected by the strike action.

A department spokesperson said Job Centres would remain open "where it is safe to do so", with customers contacted "if appointments need to be rescheduled".

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