Benefits workers in Bolton are striking for better pay and working conditions, among widespread strikes across the country.

Civil servants at the Bolton Benefit Centre in the town centre are taking part in strikes from February 9 to February 18.

The walkouts come as part of wider strike action by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) around the country.

They are striking for better pay and working conditions, with many workers on minimum wage and with a higher workload being asked of them.

On Friday, Jo Knight, branch chair of PCS Bolton and Bury, and a case manager at the centre, said: “The government is refusing to negotiate in good faith.

“Many of our staff are already on the minimum wage. Nowhere never cost of living inflationary increases.

“A number of our members are on Universal Credit as claimants themselves, working on average a third of what they’re supposed to be on.

“We’re already struggling, and we’ve heard that they’re going to be bringing in more work.”

She added: “The living wage in April isn’t a pay rise.

"We’re earning nowhere near what those in the private sector earn for similar roles with less stress.

“Members are routinely working a day or so overtime a week just to make ends meet. The government know this, but they’re just not negotiating in good faith.”

In response to those who dismiss the strikes, Jo said: “I’d say to those people, as many of them complain themselves about various aspects of civil servants, how else are we going to change it, we tried every other option.

“Striking is what you do when everything else fails.

“We’re here to serve the public. It’s not good enough, staff aren’t paid enough and we’re massively overworked.”

This comes after the leader of the PCS wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking for talks over the dispute.

In his letter, general secretary Mark Serwotka wrote: “PCS has watched with interest developments elsewhere on pay in the public sector.

“We support other trade unions in their attempts to secure justice for their members.

“We have noted the offer made today to the Fire Brigades Union and improved offers made recently by the Scottish and Welsh governments in a number of sectors.

“We cannot overstate our frustration that there appears to be no such movement from the government in respect of its own workforce in the civil service."

He added: “We stand ready to negotiate a settlement to this dispute but there does not appear to be any willingness on the part of the government to seriously engage in such negotiations.

“This is an unacceptable state of affairs and your own workforce deserves better.

“We are now seeking a meeting with you to discuss these matters and to hopefully move things towards a resolution.”

In response to strikes, including action taken by PCS staff, Mr Sunak's official spokesperson recently said: “We still believe there is time for unions to step back and to call on their members not to strike and avoid the sort of disruption we are expecting to see this week, particularly on Wednesday.

“We think the continuing discussions are the right approach and we’d like to see them continue.”