UNION leaders said a strike at a Job Centre Plus contact centre was strongly supported yesterday.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services are taking industrial at the Newport site, which employs 350 people, as part of a national action involving six call centres over changes to work conditions.

The 48-hour action will end today.

Katrine Williams, Wales chairwoman of PCS, said they have had "overwhelming support from members" for the move over changes since workers were transferred from benefits processing to working as part of a contact centre.

Ms Williams argued that the quality of calls had fallen and that staff were being constantly monitored.

"People are very angry about the situation we've been put in," she added.

A DWP spokesman said only 21 per cent of staff across all UK centres have voted to strike, and said there were no jobs under threat through the changes.

"We are modernising our telephone and benefit processing service," he said. "There will be no change to the way benefits are paid, however it will mean that customers will get a better service than at present when they phone with a benefit enquiry."