ONS staff to escalate industrial action in dispute over office working

Workers at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are to escalate industrial action in a dispute over office working.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said that 1,200 of its members based in Newport, South Wales; Titchfield, Hampshire; London; Darlington; Manchester and Edinburgh will refuse to work overtime starting August 27.

Since May they have refused to follow a new instruction to spend at least 40% of their time in the office.

The union said many staff already willingly spend more than 40% of their working time in the office.

The industrial action is to oppose mandatory attendance, said the PCS.

General secretary Fran Heathcote said: “ ONS consistently relies on goodwill to remain functional but managers have themselves shown little goodwill by forcing staff back into the office.

“This new wave of industrial action will cause disruption in a way working from home has not.”

A spokesperson for the ONS said: “We have robust plans in place and do not anticipate any disruption to key ONS publications.

“Nevertheless, we still believe firmly that a reasonable level of office attendance – in line with the wider Civil Service – is in the best interests of the ONS and of all our colleagues.

“Face-to-face interaction supports personal collaboration, learning and innovation.”