Covid: Strike 'possible' over longer job centre opening
- Published
The return to normal opening hours for job centres is putting users and staff "in harm's way", a union has warned.
The PCS said it would not rule out strike action, arguing the extension should instead put back until Covid vaccines were "fully rolled out".
Job centres went back to their pre-lockdown hours on Monday, having previously been cut to 10am to 2pm.
The government said this would help them give "vital support to the most vulnerable" in society.
Covid safety was taken "extremely seriously," a spokesman added.
The PCS, which represents civil servants, said Department for Work and Pensions staff had dealt "successfully" with benefits claimants via video link during the pandemic.
It added that "the vast bulk of the interviews now expected to be done face-to-face can still be carried out remotely".
General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This reckless move by ministers is wholly unnecessary and risks putting both claimants and job centre staff in harm's way.
"DWP staff have been doing an incredible job delivering key services such as Universal Credit and helping those most in need, access the assistance they require, throughout the pandemic."
Mr Serwotka called it "counterproductive and arrogant for ministers to risk staff and the wider public's health by resuming normal jobcentre opening hours before the vaccine is fully rolled out".
The government hopes that all adults in Britain will be offered a first jab by the end of July.
"The anger of our members is palpable," Mr Serwotka said, "and we are not ruling out strike action, until a just settlement is found."
'Absolutely committed'
Job centre opening hours returned to 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, at the start of this week.
And the government announced last July that it would double the number of frontline job centre staff from 13,500 to 26,000 to deal with the extra work caused by Covid-related unemployment.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "Throughout this pandemic, job centres have remained open to ensure we can continue to provide vital support to the most vulnerable.
"Our return to full opening hours will enable us to provide even more help and support to those who need us."
The government was "absolutely committed to ensuring all our sites remain Covid-secure" in line with official guidance, they added.
Last month, it was announced that 80 temporary job centres were being set up to deal with "increased demand" caused by the economic fallout of the pandemic.
The government's spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, estimates that 2.2 million people could be unemployed by the end of the year. But the figure is expected to fall next year, as the economy improves.