MPS civilian staff to be balloted for strike action

Civilian staff at the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are to be balloted for strike action over a dispute on a new hybrid working policy that increases the time they must attend an office.

Nov 1, 2024
By Paul Jacques

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the increases range from 60 per cent to 100 per cent and the staff affected are civilians who support the day-to-day work of police officers.

The PCS said has “served notice on the Metropolitan Police to ballot over industrial action”.

The ballot will open on November 6 and close on December 10.

The PCS said: “The existing policy on how many days members work from home or in the office has been in place for several years, with collective agreements in each area on blended working. The Met has not provided any good reasons for its change of policy.

“The change will impact most on women, the disabled and part-time workers, reflecting the findings of the 2023 Baroness Casey Review that the Met is institutionally discriminatory, with a lack of diversity.”

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Yet again we are seeing a arbitrary figure chosen to decide how many days a week our members have to come into the office, when they are working perfectly well from home.

“There is no evidence people work better in the office. In fact, the opposite is true because workers are more productive when they have a better work-life balance, not having to commute and able to spend more time with their family at home before and after work.

“It’s not too late for the Met to change their mind and return to the blended working model that has been successful for many years.”

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