THOUSANDS of workers in JobCentres and benefit offices are to stage a two-day strike in a row over job cuts, it was announced.

The walk-out on January 26 and 27 follows the breakdown of talks bet-ween union leaders and officials at the Department for Work and pensions aimed at resolving a dispute over a cut of 30,000 posts.

The Public and Comm-ercial Services Union said services to jobseekers and benefit claimants were being affected across England, Wales and Scot-land by the loss of 15,000 jobs since the "cull" was announced.

The union had appealed to the DWP to halt the cuts while an assessment is made of their impact. Union leaders have been pressing for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies among the staff, also working in the Child Sup-port Agency and pensions.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Strike action is not a step we take lightly."

But against a backdrop of the DWP refusing to acknowledge the damage being wrought by job cuts, our members will take action to defend the services they deliver.

"Unless the department wake up and halt the job cuts programme and look objectively at staffing levels, there is a real danger that some of the most disadvantaged in society will be let down and no longer get the hand-up they need."

The union has claimed that telephone calls to Jobcentres are going unanswered and people are having to wait hours to see an adviser.

They also warned that staff were facing an increasing number of assaults because of high levels of frustration being built up by the delays.