Angela Rayner's civil servants launch protest over work from home ban

Angela Rayner's civil servants are protesting over a work from home ban. Officials in the Deputy Prime Minister's department have launched a "work to rule" campaign after being ordered to come into the office.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, the largest in the civil service, said the action at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) would start on Monday. The move comes after the closure of six offices, office attendance policies and the scrapping of "local-neutral" contracts.

PCS president Martin Cavanagh told The Times: "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.

"Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate."

The protest means civil servants will do no more work than what is stated in their contracts.

They are understood to be angry because Ms Rayner, who is also the Housing Secretary, has spearheaded Labour's workers' rights reforms which include the right to request flexible working.

An MHCLG spokesman 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."