A council-led campaign to oppose the “callous” closure of Clydebank’s JobCentre could be on the cards as West Dunbartonshire councillors condemned plans to shut the branch.
The announcement last week confirming the closure of the office on Kilbowie Road and transfer around 200 staff to JobCentre buildings in neighbouring areas of Glasgow, has been described as a “callous attack” on the area’s most vulnerable from the Tory Government.
During Wednesday’s full council meeting an emergency motion asking the chief executive to write to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) calling for this decision to be overturned was unanimously approved by members.
READ MORE: DWP set to close offices in Scotland and UK putting 'thousands' of jobs at risk
Labour councillor Gail Casey, who presented the motion, said: “The DWP has been a significant employer in Clydebank as many people here will know.
“The Clydebank DWP was classed as a transitional site in 2017 and the original plan was that this closure would have happened earlier, however that was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Due to DWP increasing its staffing significantly during covid and the introduction of flexible and hybrid working many staff had hoped the closure would no longer be on the cards.
“Unfortunately this was not the case and last Thursday the Kilbowie Road office in Clydebank was one of the nine offices in Scotland announced for closure by October 2022 at the latest.
“The speed of closure has probably added to the concerns of members. Many of them will have a caring responsibility and travelling to Glasgow for work will have a detrimental impact on these responsibilities.”
Council leader Jonathon McColl, who also had a similar motion to oppose the closure, asked for an addendum to be added. It read: “Council asks the chief executive to liaise with the local MP and MSP to offer any appropriate assistance to the efforts to have this decision reversed.
“Council also asks our Working4U team to assist DWP staff who may soon find themselves in need of practical support to explore their options if made redundant.”
After the addendum was accepted, councillor Jim Bollan asked for the council to start a campaign to reverse the decision and gain the support of the public and trade unions.
He said: “This is another callous attack by the Tory government by some of the most vulnerable people who use the jobcentre.
“It beggars belief that they would do this and force people to go to Glasgow. They shut the job centre in Alexandria and Dumbarton and the promise was that the one in Clydebank would be okay. Now we have lost Clydebank which is an absolute disgrace on top of 200 jobs getting lost. It is a callous disregard for claimants many of whom are vulnerable. It is going to be more difficult for these people to access these services.
“I think the council should start and lead a campaign of opposition to this closure, enlisting the public and trade union support.”
Conservative councillor Sally Page pointed out that the brief they were sent states that the job centre staff on the ground floor will not be affected as the lease will be renewed from that floor.
She added: “Although the jobs will be moved from the DWP office there will be no redundancies and I appreciate what you are saying that it will be harder for people to reach their place of work but the job centre staff on the ground floor will not be affected.”
Following the discussion members agreed to back the motion to oppose the plans.
