MHCLG staff ballot for action as union says department must “practise what it preaches”
PCS members at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will be balloted for industrial action from 2 March to 15 April in a dispute over office closures, a mandatory 60% office attendance policy, and changes to recruitment opportunities.
This ballot will be one of the first to take place under the provisions of the Government’s “landmark” employment rights legislation.
The department’s plans have put hundreds of in the firing line, with four of six regional offices having already closed leaving staff facing upheaval, longer and more costly commutes, and blocked career progression.
The affected offices are in:
- Newcastle
- Exeter
- Truro
- Sheffield
- Birmingham
- And Warrington
Under the new arrangements staff could face commutes of up to two hours each way. PCS warns that the closures and rigid 60% attendance rule will hit disabled staff, carers and neurodivergent workers hardest, raising questions about fairness, equality and inclusion.
Despite the union’s efforts to reach a settlement after previous industrial action, the Department has failed to address the seriousness of the concerns raised. It is continuing with planned office closures while also enforcing strict office attendance rules that are unrealistic, particularly given there are not enough desks to accommodate staff.
Proposed changes to recruitment would scrap location-neutral hiring, potentially shutting staff out of future job opportunities and undermining MHCLG’s stated commitment to regional equality. Despite verbal reassurances, the lack of a firm policy or formal agreement provides little confidence for members who are being hit with a triple impact.
PCS is calling for MHCLG to return to the negotiating table and commit to the following:
- Maintaining and restoring a presence in Birmingham, Warrington, Newcastle, Exeter, Truro and Sheffield, ensuring that no staff member loses pay or personal time travelling whilst alternatives are developed.
- Implementing a progressive and flexible office attendance policy, placing staff choice at its heart, removing individual compliance monitoring and providing a guarantee that no member will face discipline or detriment for their office attendance.
- Formalising a fair recruitment policy that prevents the run-down of offices, stops unequal treatment between locations and provides future assurances to members.
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote said:
“It is disappointing to see a department of state, overseen by a government which delivered landmark employment rights legislation, that sought to strengthen the voices of unions and workers, now ignoring the very voices of those that it sought to champion.
“These office closures, rigid attendance rules and recruitment restrictions threaten staff wellbeing and strip away regional opportunities at the very moment ministers claim to be levelling up.
“If MHCLG expects employers across the country to treat workers fairly, it must start by practising what it preaches.”
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Notes to Editors