Passport Workers Forced Back to Offices as Home Office Shirks It’s Duty of Care

By a Public and Commercial Services union shop steward

I work for the Civil Service and am a member of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) of which I am a local and regional representative. Like many of my colleagues I was shocked and appalled at the Home Office’s decision to call workers at Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) including those at Newport back into the workplace after a three week hiatus due to concerns over COVID-19.

This move by the Home Office, which is responsible for HMPO, is contradictory to official Government guidance which advises people to stay at home and avoid all non essential travel and will understandably worry and anger many HMPO workers.  It is completely contradictory to the department’s duty of care to it’s workers. It is also contradictory to the departments earlier approach where it decided to close all HMPO offices for three weeks after the Government, already dragging it’s heels, announced stricter conditions for tackling the spread of the virus on March 23rd. What has changed since March 23rd?

The amount of COVID-19 cases reported in the UK has increased on a daily basis and, tragically so has the number of people who have died. In fact the Government and health professionals still cannot say when the peak of the outbreak will arrive! So what is the justification for forcing HMPO workers back to offices now? Shockingly the Home Office tries to justify this move but stating that 80% of the population will contract COVID-19 anyway and that “we cannot hide away from it forever”.

It is true that passports cannot be issued from home due to staff not being issued with laptops or Surface Pros as has been the case in other Government departments, and because the software required cannot be put onto personal devices at present, but why should workers pay for this? Including a layer of the workforce on or just above minimum wage who are being told to risk their lives and the lives of loved ones they live with. 

It is also hardly essential work, with people currently unable to go on holiday or business trips abroad due to the crisis. The only alleged essential work involved would be the issuing of passports to people who need them for purposes such as claiming benefits but according to PCS members in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) it is not true that passports are required for this and if it were the case then the department should put in place very limited cover, only asking workers who are not vulnerable, don’t live with anyone who is vulnerable and are showing no symptoms to come into the office. Even under these circumstances other health issues should be taken into consideration such as mental health and nobody should be forced to return to work or face disciplinary action. Moreover why can’t the department pay to have laptops with the required software on them sent to workers homes and avoid anybody having to risk going into the office?

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, has correctly described the Home Office approach as “cavalier” and condemned the move but clearly we need to prepare for action if the management take a harsh line and demand that workers return to the workplace.

His approach to wider issues in this crisis has let bosses off the hook, suspending negotiations over pay, office closures and other issues, urging members to stand off and come together behind the Government’s lackluster approach. As well as standing up for members health and safety and for a maximum number of workers to be able to work from home, Serwotka should not falter but continue to push for all PCS policies. For full resourcing of departments, the stopping of office closures and a 10% pay rise for all. It is the under-funding of public services that has exacerbated the problems in tackling the Coronavirus crisis.