4 October 2002
MAJORITY OF SOCIAL SECURITY AGENCY OFFICES UNAFFECTED BY INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Thirty-four of the thirty-six Social Security Agency public offices were open until 4.30pm yesterday, despite Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance’s (NIPSA) call for its members to make the offices inoperative after 3.30pm.
NIPSA called a half-day strike among its members in Social Security Agency public offices because they are being required to keep offices open to 4.30pm. It is also embarking on industrial action that includes refusing to operate public offices after 3.30pm.
A spokesperson for the Social Security Agency said:
"The strike action on Wednesday resulted in less than half of our offices closing. Of the total number of Social Security Agency staff employed in public offices 60pc stayed at their work.
"The news that nearly all of our offices opened to 4.30pm shows that our staff have their customers’ interest at heart and realise that extending opening hours to 4.30pm does not affect their terms and conditions.
"It is time for NIPSA to follow the lead of its membership and call off this action which can only damage customer services and its members’ interests. The invitation to talk about this issue is still there if the trade union calls off its industrial action."
Social Security Agency offices have been operating 4.30pm opening since September 2 and no adverse effect upon staff has been reported. Government offices in Great Britain that administer social security benefits have already moved to 4.30pm opening without any negative reaction from staff.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The Social Security Agency employs more than 2,300 staff in its public offices and 6,500 in total.
- The ‘conditioned hours’ for Social Security Agency staff are 9.00am to 5.05pm
- Flexi-time is operated at the discretion of Social Security Agency managers by most Agency staff which allows them to finish at 3.30pm provided that there are sufficient staff left to meet customers needs.
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