BENEFITS offices and JobCentres across the North-East are set to close for two days next week when thousands of civil servants stage a 48-hour strike.

Claimants and job seekers will find offices closed on Monday and Tuesday in the latest strike by members of The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

The PCS has also asked its 8,000 members in the region to picket in protest at the removal of safety screens from new open plan JobCentre Plus offices.

Staff say the removal of screens leaves them at risk from abusive and violent claimants.

Brian Herbertson, PCS chairman in the North, said: "Our staff have been forced into this action because management is failing in its duty to protect them from violence and abuse.

"In this region we have had incidents where clients have threatened and physically attacked members of staff. Yet management is intransigent in its attitude to this dispute, seemingly having little concern for the health, safety and welfare of staff.

"All we are asking for is some controlled measures to stop people getting into the open plan areas."

In December, about 2,000 workers in the North-East went out on strike over the same issue but benefit services were largely unaffected.

Earlier this month further action was suspended after the Government tabled a new deal.

Union officials suspended action for two weeks pending further negotiations - but the talks failed to resolve the situation.

Pensions secretary Alistair Darling called next week's action "ineffective and pointless".

He said: "We have contingency measures in place to minimise any potential disruption to the public but we must be aware that it is the PCS who have called for this action knowing that it could hurt some of the most vulnerable people in society."

He claimed the majority of staff at JobCentre Plus offices were happy with the new unscreened work areas.

"JobCentre Plus offices are proving to be safer environments for staff and customers alike."

He added: "It is time to end this strike and get on with the business of delivering a service the public both want and deserve.