PCS reps and members in DWP have spent the November fighting against a planned return to offices across the UK. With little leadership provided by the union’s Group Executive Committee, beyond aggressive-sounding emails, reps and members were left to take the steps that ultimately forced DWP to back down, leaving the employer’s plans in even greater disarray than before.
Build the campaign now – do not wait for January!
Broad Left Network supporters in DWP are calling on the union’s leadership to fight for:
- No return to offices for back of house roles, guaranteed until the end of winter.
- For any future return to involve thorough consultation, to take account of further information about the Omicron variant, about the pressure on the NHS and about the booster roll out.
- For Jobcentres to return to emergency face to face appointments only.
- For CO2 monitors to be provided in every workplace.
In a significant number of areas, DWP has back down on the return of back of house staff to their offices, at least temporarily. In Retirement Services Directorate across the UK, and in all parts of DWP in Wales, management have retreated. In areas like Universal Credit, the retreat is uneven and incomplete, with some messages indicating a voluntary approach and others continuing with a mandatory approach. BLN reps in these areas are working to oppose any mandatory return.
Even in those areas where members have successfully prevented DWP from forcing them back into the office, the return is only delayed until January. We need to be ready to further oppose this.
Branches must take the lead
The union’s DWP Group Executive Committee, following the lead of the union’s National Executive, has emailed all members in DWP to “remind them of their rights”. This is not sufficient. Reps have proven at sites across the UK, since the pandemic first landed, that when members stick together, the employer is forced to back down and to take account of what members demand.
We have called on the GEC to organise a national reps meeting, to ensure every site across the UK is prepared and ready to issue “Regulation 8” letters, upon DWP issuing instructions to return, allowing members to use Health and Safety legislation to prevent a return to the office. In the absence of this leadership, however, branches must pro-actively prepare.
Elected GEC reps who support the Broad Left Network have organised a national meeting at 6.30pm on 12th January, with the option to bring this forward should DWP try to wrong-foot the union by announcing plans when reps and members are on leave, as they did during the summer. Further details will be sent out to all branches. Contact details are overleaf.
Devolved areas
Following the emergence of the Omicron variant, the devolved governments have urged all employers to keep workers at home – but they have not yet changed the regulations that would ensure this. We welcome the victory won by members in Wales, to halt any return to the office – but the goodwill of DWP cannot be relied upon. As the GEC has shown no interest in attempting to exert political pressure to prevent a mandatory return to the offices, here too branches can take the lead.
PCS Broad Left Network 