Pressure builds on the Passport Office
COVID 19: Pressure builds on HMPO to send staff home.
Gove to instruct Patel to contact the union.
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PCS met with the Cabinet Office this morning (9 April) with HMPO at the top of the agenda.
General Secretary Mark Serwotka set out the concerns we’ve been putting to HMPO over the past week. In response, the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove expressed that he shared our concerns and committed to raise this with the Home Secretary to get back to PCS today.
The media storm that broke this morning followed days of PCS pressure on HMPO in a row over its plans and to put staff safety first. PCS have written 5 times to senior Home Office figures over the past week including twice to the Permanent Secretary.
An online petition was also launched which received over 500 HMPO staff signatures in the first few hours. After a number of requests we are now opening the petition up for people outside HMPO to sign by clicking ‘Other’ under Employer. We need to keep sharing this petition around members and non-members to encourage them to sign and keep the pressure on.
If you’re not already a PCS member – join on-line today.
Mike Jones (Group Secretary), Karen Alderson (Acting PCS HMPO lead)
Any queries about this PCS Home Office Group Members' Briefing can be sent to the authors here.