CIVIL servants will begin nine days' strike action tomorrow in a dispute over office closures, attendance polices and recruitment strategy.

Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) members at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) based in Newcastle will walk out until May 2. Those working in Birmingham, Exeter, Sheffield, Truro and Warrington meanwhile will strike for four days.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “It’s high time the government and the ministry began to listen to their staff and put an end to these reckless, regressive decisions to close local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance.