Civil servants accuse Government of 'anti-union tactics' as rising tide of discontent reaches Wolverhampton
Civil servants in Wolverhampton accused the Government of 'anti-union' tactics as a dispute over working conditions escalated this week.
Staff in the Government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), including employees based in Wolverhampton, commenced indefinite industrial action this week over the closure of regional offices.
Civil servants are angry over the closure of six offices, which does not include the department's presence at the i9 building in Wolverhampton, as well as "rigid office attendance policies and the withdrawal of location-neutral recruitment" at the department.
The dispute has been rumbling since March, when members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action.
As of this week, staff at 21 offices are currently working on an indefinite "work to rule" basis, involving "working to contract, removing goodwill and non-compliance with non-contractual policies and processes".
In a robust statement, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) accused the MHCLG of "actively attempting to undermine union-led action" by "circulating misleading information to staff" and challenging lawful notices of industrial action on what it says are "spurious grounds".
