THE SECOND day of strike action at Tayside and Fife offices of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was transformed into a bitter war of words yesterday as strikers and managers at the DWP clashed over the impact of the action.

Union representatives from the Public Commercial Services (PCS) union, which has members in benefits offices across Tayside and Fife, had reported an 80% turnout of members on the picket line for the first day of strike action over plans for 30,000 job cuts by 2008.

However, managers of the DWP yesterday refuted those claims and insisted that only 59% of staff in Scotland had actually gone on strike, with it being business as usual in many of Scotland’s 150 benefits offices.

They also claimed that just eight offices, including Castle Douglas, Cumnock, Dingwall, Invergordon, Forres and three in Edinburgh, had been forced to close their doors.

A spokeswoman for the DWP said robust contingency plans had been put in place to maintain services with ministers still committed to their efficiency programme.

She said, “It is unhelpful and pays little respect to the work of our staff to describe the service as being in crisis.”

She insisted that despite the strikes the DWP had been coping with “service delivery pressures.”

However Ali Arnott, the union branch secretary for Tayside, branded the DWP response as nothing more than “political gesturing” over an issue that deserved more respect.

“We are talking about 30,000 job cuts and changes to the system that will do a great disservice to the public,” he explained.

“I don’t think it’s right that they try and diminish the message of this strike with no consideration of the impact of their actions. They are saying that only eight offices have been closed, but what they are failing to mention is that there are no offices actually offering a full service,” he explained.

“Every single office has a notice detailing that limited services are available. There are no more than two or three people going into the offices and their role is to do nothing more than open the doors and post signs saying ‘limited services available’.

“Members of the public are being turned away without their benefits and told to come back next week when the strike action is over. To say they’re coping is simply not true, they are merely wasting the public’s time.”

Mr Arnott said that the second day of striking had attracted an equally strong turnout in Tayside, with members eager to stress the importance of their message.

“Nationally, I believe there is a minimum turnout of 70% and we are delighted in Tayside to have attracted similar numbers to yesterday,” he added.

“Nothing has changed, our members are still taking part in strikes across the region at every local office.”