Catherwood LibraryILR School

With thousands of cases of violence against Britain’s Benefits Agency employees already reported every year, the government’s decision to remove protective barriers between employees and patrons has infuriated the employees’ union officers. The government has proposed an increase in security guards, swift and severe punishment of anyone who assaults a Benefits Agency staff member, the installation of closed circuit televisions, and the possibility of pop-up barriers---but insists that the fixed barriers need to come down to make services more accessible to marginalized groups. The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents the 50,000 employees who will be affected, took a strike vote earlier this week, and many workers have already walked out.