§ Baroness Turner of Camdenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that the unions in DHSS offices have not agreed to the levels of staffing now in operation and that industrial action is planned to highlight the problems of dealing with the high level of unemployment and increasing take-up of state benefits; and what action they intend to take to rectify the situation.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)Staffing levels for DHSS local offices are determined by a complementing system which has been agreed with the trade unions. A joint standing committee of management and the trade unions set up under Whitley procedures provides a forum for 165WA discussing staffing levels and the trade unions were consulted about 1985–86 staffing levels through this channel.
The department is aware that in support of a claim for additional staff the main DHSS unions are threatening industrial action. So far, in response to the trade unions' claim and the department's own assessment of the staffing situation, 2,000 posts in excess of complement have been added to the local office manpower figure for 1985–86. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has also promised to consider the further representations the trade unions have made in support of their claim, and is doing so with all practicable speed.