Talks will begin tomorrow to try to avert a strike by thousands of workers in Jobcentres and benefit offices.
Staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have voted for two days of industrial action later this month in protest at job cuts.
Leaders from the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) will discuss the progress of talks with the DWP and if a resolution is not reached will decide dates for the strike on Wednesday.
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The axe has so far fallen on about 15,000 posts in the DWP as it seeks to cut 30,000 jobs as part of the government’s Gershon review efficiency drive.
The union is calling for the DWP to halt the job cuts programme and to objectively assess staffing levels based on operational need. The union is also seeking a guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies.
