Outsourced and underpaid: security guards shut down job centres

This morning more than 300 hundred PCS members swelled the ranks of GMB pickets begun this week. At least 16 pickets across England had already forced a reduced DWP service with several further offices and JobCentres shut down by today’s action. The strikers are employed by the multinational G4S as security guards for DWP.

At Finsbury Park, strikers got some excellent chants going, as did Hackney with members of the public joining in. At Hull there was constant public support with cheers, car horns and a taxi driver dancing in his seat to their music. Grimsby had especially enthusiastic solidarity from passing Royal Mail drivers. After a large picket at Birkenhead saw the JobCentre shut up shop, it marched on to Upton. Reports from Halifax say their picket line was huge.

PCS demands that the incoming government urgently end the long-running pay dispute with G4S staff. Further, if Labour come into power, PCS will hold the party to account on its promise to in-source civil service jobs. This would end the scandal of multinational companies exploiting workers while pocketing huge taxpayer-funded profits.

Union members and civil servants will join a big protest 9am tomorrow at DWP HQ at Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA. PCS strikes will continue until 7 July, and resume 15 July to 21 July, and from 29 July to 4 August.

Read further details on the Caxton House protest, local picket lines, the strikers’ hardship fund and how to give solidarity messages.

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