Angela Rayner's civil servants launch 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot WFH
Staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin the industrial action next week.
It follows a dispute over the closure of six offices, the scrapping of 'location-neutral' contracts, and the enforcement of 'rigid' office attendance policies.
Members of the Public and Commecial Services (PCS) union, which represents civil servants, will begin action short of a strike on Monday.
This will see MHCLG staff who are PCS members work to contract, remove goodwill, and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes.
Civil servants in Ms Rayner's department are said to feel particularly frustrated as the Deputy PM is spearheading Labour's reforms to workers' rights.
The Employment Rights Bill includes a right to request flexible working, including working from home, and measures to boost trade unions' powers.
The legislation will increase the burden of justificaion on bosses so that they must accept a flexible working request unless it is 'not reasonably feasible'.
The Bill also seeks to give trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers.
Martin Cavanagh, the PCS president, said: 'From removing staff from an office before the lease expires to spuriously challenging lawful notices of industrial action, the employer seems intent to avoid proper consultation, disregard fair process and alienate its staff.
'Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate.'
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have engaged with unions and staff about a number of proposals – including plans to expand four offices outside of London and close six offices over the next two years, as leases come to an end.
'The department will continue to have offices in every English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles.'
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