Dispute won’t shut Jobcentre

PUBLIC-SECTOR services are set to stay open tomorrow despite the strikes.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is taking action over cuts to jobs, pensions and pay.

Members include court staff, the CPS, immigration officers, job centres, coast guards and tax officers with around 260 members in Oldham.

Union leaders say vital public services are being axed and hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers thrown out of work, with those remaining facing pay and pension cuts.

They are planning to picket tomorrow but Oldham Jobcentre Plus, on Union Street, is set to stay open and appears the only likely destination in the borough for protests.

Oldham Benefits Agency, in Union Street’s Phoenix House, will also try to stay open with contingency plans in place.

Oldham Magistrates’ Court will stay open but only remand cases will be dealt with.

Oldham County Court will be open with four district judges going ahead with hearings. However, there will be no counter or telephone services.

The Driving Standards Agency was unable to say whether driving tests will continue at Failsworth Driving Test Centre, Partington Street, with candidates told to contact the centre directly.

Peter Middleman, PCS North-West regional secretary, claimed the action had public support.

He said: “We are expecting solid support at job centres, courts and driving test centres. Members are extremely angry at being made to pay with their pensions for a crisis they did not cause.

“A poll indicated 76 per cent of the general public think it’s unfair for the public sector to be made to pay back a deficit caused by city financiers.”