Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials will take “indefinite” industrial action from next week over office closures and attendance polices.
PCS has announced that its members in MHCLG will begin action short of a strike, which will see civil servants work to contract and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes.
The dispute is over the closure of six offices, along with “the imposition of rigid office attendance policies" and "the withdrawal of location-neutral recruitment”.
The offices being closed are: Birmingham, Exeter, Newcastle, Sheffield, Truro and Warrington. PCS members working at these MHCLG offices have already taken strike action in April and May over the issues.
MHCLG has previously stated that the planned office closures coincide with the expiry of leases at the sites, and that the reorganisation will be accompanied by expansion of its presence in London, Wolverhampton, Darlington, Manchester and Bristol.
The following offices will be taking action short of strike: London – 2 Marsham Street; Belfast; Birmingham; Bristol – Temple Quay; Cambridge Eastbrook House; Cardiff; Darlington; Edinburgh; Hastings; Hemel Hempstead; Leeds Wellington Place; Liverpool; Manchester Piccadilly Gate; Newcastle; Norwich; Nottingham; Plymouth; Sheffield; Truro; Warrington; and Wolverhampton.
PCS president Martin Cavanagh said the department's approach to the dispute so far has "alienated" the workforce.
“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," he said.
“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.”