DWP

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) stated that over 100,000 members will be on strike at the same time as other public sector workers, including teachers and lecturers in a one day strike on 24 April in protest at the government's policy to cap public sector pay to below inflation, which will result in cuts to living standards across the civil service.

It was the second 48-hour stoppage in protest of the imposed three-year pay deal, which works out as an average 1% a year for some staff.

Voluntary organisations up and down the country were livid at the attempt to make life harder for unemployed volunteers.
The Department for Work and Pensions issued a leaflet last month for claimants wishing to volunteer to do charity work, stating that they can´t have their food expenses reimbursed, as their benefit money already covers their food costs.

There have been approximately 15,000 job losses in the DWP, and the department seeks to cut jobs by a total of 30,000 by 2008. Recently, upto 1,000 staff have been leaving the department per month.

Job losses have led to significant delays and bottle necks of benefits claims across the company, with the PCS union saying "services are frequently on the verge of collapse".

The Public and Commercial Services Union says a leaked document from the Department of Work and Pensions shows that Secretary of State John Hutton is considering the outsourcing plan, which would hit staff in call centres in job centres and benefit agencies.

A 75% majority of the telecom equipment maker firm Marconi has been sold to telecommunications giant Ericsson for £1.2bn. But the £2.5bn pension scheme has been 'ring fenced' and set up as a separate entity on the stock market, rebranded as Telent.