More Strike Action

[ErikaPNP]

I know some of you were affected by reduced service during the strikes on 8th and 9th of March. Just a forewarning - further strike action is set to take place on 24th March.

 

This will have about the same effect as the last strike with reduced staffing numbers present in some public services such as DWP and other public services, which may result in longer to get through on telephony lines and longer waiting times at open offices.

[paulb1310]

From the Guardian:

 

'If you happened to call the Department for Work and Pensions this week, only to be told about high call volume and then cut off, there's a chance that wasn't an answerphone. Due to strike action, the ... civil servants who continued working ... say that managers told them to pretend to be machines, and read out this message: 'Due to the high volume of inquiries we are currently experiencing we are unable to take your call. Please call back later.''

 

So DWP staff do tell lies

[privatehudson]

So DWP staff do tell lies

Because of course having an computerised answerphone message saying exactly the same thing would have been so much better...

 

Lunchtime periods and times when there are computer problems are always traditionally busier anyway. Factor in the reduced staffing levels and I'm not surprised that they felt the need to invoke some sort of contingency measures. To go through a new claim on the phone can take 30-40 minutes, with reduced staff you could expect wait times to shoot through the roof if you have what few staff who are in only answering 15 calls a day.

 

Sure it would be better to have someone inform them of the strike action and when the person would realistically be better calling back. This is what one call centre allegedly did though, I doubt it was a blanket policy, if it even happened at all in the way the article suggests.

Edited March 13, 2010 by privatehudson

[antone]

Well, of course blatant absurdities are possible, but my office had a computerised message informing folks of the strike and the likely delays.

 

And although it's not my usual job, I spent all of both days on the phones. No manager asked me to pretend to be an answering machine, or to do anything other than answer calls and do my best for the customers with the limited resources available.

[Tiger Lily]

Did many turn in Antone, what was support like, do you agree with the strike, I only ask because in my office it was well supported.

 

And those who did come in didnt pretend to be answering machines

[antone]

Did many turn in Antone, what was support like, do you agree with the strike, I only ask because in my office it was well supported.

 

And those who did come in didnt pretend to be answering machines

 

Well, we need to be a bit careful when discussing these sorts of things online. That's a problem I face in general on this board - I have many thoughts that I can't really say out loud, heh.

 

But I'd guess maybe 10% of staff in my BDC were working. I'm non-union for reasons not related to the current dispute, so it's not my battle, really. In general terms, I don't think that an employer should be able to unilaterally vary the terms of an employment contract, so I do have sympathy for the rationale behind this strike. I remain unconvinced that this industrial action will achieve anything. On the other hand, doing nothing at all won't achieve much either.