The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘DWP staff at risk must be redeployed’
Hundreds of workers facing uncertain futures as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) prepares to close north-east offices should be redeployed to Social Security Scotland, an MSP has argued.
We revealed in March that the UK Government plans to close its Victoria Road office in Kirkcaldy, which has 101 staff, and Ebury House, Aberdeen, which has 64.
Some 316 workers at Lindsay House, Dundee, will have the chance to relocate to Jack Martin Way.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has warned that more than 1,000 workers face a “very serious prospect of redundancy” across 42 offices in the UK.
It is understood the DWP told the Scottish Government it does not plan to cut the overall staff headcount in the process.
But North East Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba urged ministers to come up with a rescue package that would see any staff facing redundancy redeployed to Social Security Scotland to assist in the rollout of newly-devolved benefits.
Ms Villalba raised the issue at Hollyrood last month but said she was “hugely” disappointed by a written response from Social Justice Minister Shona Robison.
Ms Robison said the Scottish Government was not consulted before the closures were announced but contacted the DWP “to gain an understanding of the impact of this change”.
She said: “We have made an offer to stand up our support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations – the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (Pace).
“The DWP did not think that Pace support was required at this time.
“However, the offer will remain open.
“If needed, Pace will provide individual skills development and employability support.”
Ms Villalba said: “It’s hugely disappointing that Shona Robison and the SNP/Green Government have not made any commitment to explore the possibility of redeploying DWP staff in Scotland.
“The Scottish Government has an opportunity to use newly devolved powers over benefits to protect at-risk jobs by redeploying DWP staff facing redundancy to deliver the new benefits system being launched in Scotland.
“However, Shona Robison appears to be swallowing the Tory line that no DWP offices in Scotland are at risk, despite Boris Johnson’s government’s recent announcement of plans to cut up to 91,000 civil service jobs.
“Shona Robison and the SNP/Green government have no excuse for not using their newly acquired powers to intervene to protect jobs and DWP offices at risk of Tory cuts.”
Other affected offices include Bathgate, Falkirk, Clydebank and Stirling.