More than 2,000 staff in social security offices in Northern Ireland are to strike on Wednesday over plans to extend opening hours.

Union leaders have said staff at 35 social security offices around the province are to hold a half day stoppage.

Staff at the benefits shop in Belfast city centre will also take part in the stoppage.

An overtime ban is also to be introduced from Thursday.

'Extra workload'

Tony McMullan of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance union said the Social Security Agency's management had been inflexible in their approach.

Tony McMullan NIPSA: "No additional resources"

He said: "Management were refusing to provide any additional resources in order to cope with this extra workload.

"And obviously our members are not prepared to take on additional work and as well as that to forgo the opportunity to be able to work the flexible working hours scheme."

However, reacting to news of the strike, the Social Security Agency said there were to be "no changes to terms and conditions for staff".

The agency said the union had called the strike among its members "because they were being required to keep offices open to 4.30pm. They are also embarking on industrial action that includes refusing to operate public offices after 3.30pm".

'Inappropriate action'

SSA personnel director Tommy O'Reilly said: "Staff are being asked to extend the time they spend with the public, not to work any extra hours.

"They are not having their terms and conditions changed. Staff have always been required to work normal office hours.

SSA personnel director Tommy O'Reilly: "No change in conditions"

"It is disappointing that NIPSA has decided to advise their members towards this inappropriate action.

"Social security customers are entitled to a service at least comparable to the services received from other public sector organisations.

"Most other public sector organisations open their public offices to at least 4.30pm. Social security customers should expect this at the very least."

An agency spokesman added: "The issue of extending public office hours to 4.30pm is not new to NIPSA representatives, it has been the subject of consultation for the last 15 months.

Talks offer

"In that time NIPSA has not raised one legitimate objection to the Social Security Agency improving customer services this way.

"However even at this stage we are willing to talk to NIPSA if they agree to call off their industrial action."

The Social Security Agency employs more than 2,300 staff in its public offices and 6,500 in total.

What the agency calls the conditioned hours for Social Security Agency staff are 0900 BST to 1705 BST.

The agency said flexi-time was operated "at the discretion of managers by most agency staff which allows them to finish at 3.30pm provided that there are sufficient staff left to meet customers needs".