DfE members to vote on industrial action over office closures and job cuts

Department for Education (DfE) members will be balloted for industrial action from 26 May to 21 July as hundreds of staff face disruption, relocation or redundancy.

PCS members working in DfE are being asked to vote in favour of industrial action following the department's decision to close six offices across England and press ahead with plans that could lead to compulsory job losses.

The affected offices are in Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough, Croydon, Watford and Exeter, and are scheduled to close between May 2026 and February 2027. The Department estimates that 359 staff will be directly impacted by the closures, with 97 employees already formally placed at risk and compulsory redundancies still not ruled out.
 
PCS is calling on the department to halt the office closures and job cuts that are causing uncertainty and distress for hundreds of staff. The union is demanding an end to arbitrary office attendance targets, meaningful flexibility to protect jobs, and a guarantee that no worker will be forced out through compulsory redundancy.
 
The first closure is scheduled for Exeter this month, with Leeds and Newcastle due to close in January 2027. The ballot follows a successful collective consultation ballot of members held between February and March, which demonstrated strong opposition to the plans.
 
PCS says DfE has refused to properly explore alternatives that could protect jobs and reduce the impact on staff. Despite enforcing a mandated 60% office attendance requirement, the department has not agreed to consider enhanced homeworking or more flexible hybrid working arrangements that could allow staff to remain in their roles without relocating or facing redundancy.
 
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote says:
 
"Our members are being presented with impossible choices: face dramatically longer commutes, relocate their lives and families, or risk being told to leave. No responsible employer should be placing workers in that position when alternatives exist.
 
"These closures will have a devastating impact on hundreds of dedicated public servants who have spent years delivering vital services for children, families and schools across the country.
 
"The department's refusal to consider sensible flexible working arrangements that could save jobs is deeply disappointing, and our members have made it clear that this is unacceptable.
 
“We are calling on the DfE to halt these closures, rule out compulsory redundancies and engage meaningfully with the union to find solutions that protect our members and public services."
 
END 
 
Notes to Editors
 
Balloting date: Members will be balloted for industrial action from 26 May 2026 until 21 July 2026.
 
PCS dispute concerns:
  • No DfE office closures.
  • No job cuts.
  •  An end to arbitrary office attendance targets.
  • A guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
Office closure locations: Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough, Croydon, Watford and Exeter between May 2026 and February 2027.
 
Staff impact: DfE estimates that 359 staff are directly affected by the proposals. Ninety-seven staff have been formally notified that they are at risk of redundancy. PCS conducted a collective consultation ballot between 18 February and 11 March 2026.
 
For more information or interview enquiries: [email protected] / 07925433496