Call centre staff preparing for strike

Employees at call centres across the UK are preparing for a 24-hour strike.

Strike negotiations between the Public and Commercial Services Union and Jobcentre Plus have failed, which means a staff walk-out will take place later this month.

Employees will down tools for 24 hours on April 18th 2011, as they believe they are being required to meet "unnecessary and unrealistic" targets.

Jane Aitchison, spokeswoman for the union, said these are preventing workers from giving the public a "good quality service".

The government has admitted it is disappointed with the decision to stage industrial action, as it believes the terms of employment for contact centre workers are very good.

Indeed, a spokeswoman for the DWP said staff get plenty of flexibility and a "generous" holiday entitlement.

Ms Aitchison stated that while the union had entered strike negotiations "in good faith", it believes the management failed to do the same.

"We care about the help and advice we give to some of the most vulnerable people in society," she commented.

This comes after research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that nearly three-quarters of employers expect to see an increase in industrial action over the next year.