Barnet UNISON solidarity with PCS members in local job centres
21stFebruary 2017
Dear Sir or Madam
Please see below our Branch’s response to your call for views on the proposal to close two Job Centres in the London Borough of Barnet.
Closure of Job Centres in the London Borough of Barnet
Barnet UNISON are concerned about the proposed closure of two of the four Job Centres in the Borough. The DWP appears to have not fully considered the impact this would have on those people working in and using Job Centres, and the wider community including our members working to provide support for those seeking work.
Instead of closing Job Centres we call on the DWP to consider the benefits and opportunities of working in partnership with local Government. The proposal shows a failure to learn from the success of existing DWP and Local Government partnerships such as the Boost project at Burnt Oak
Barnet’s population, already the size of many UK cities, will rise from 373, 000 to over 400,000 within the next decade. To reduce Job Centre services by 50% in the face of this growth illustrates a lack of strategic planning by the DWP
Reducing the number of Job Centres will place greater strains and stresses on people who already are in the difficult and worrying situation of having to find work as travel costs and waiting times will increase.
The closure of half of the Borough’s Job Centres will put further pressure on our members working in council services such as libraries and social care who are providing support to people who are out of work; our members are already suffering from additional pressures from cuts to jobs and resources.
Barnet UNISON call for a more imaginative and socially responsible approach to providing Job Centre Services in our Borough. This to be arrived at after a full and real consultation with Job Centre workers as represented by the PCS, service users, the Council and other concerned organisations.
Barnet Unison – Local Government branch.