Third party referral for passports row
by Róisín McKane
 
Seán Carabini says that, since the onset of the pandemic, the union has sought a balance to ensure that Passport Office staff can attend the workplace safely where necessary, and has work remotely where attendance is not necessary.
Seán Carabini says that, since the onset of the pandemic, the union has sought a balance to ensure that Passport Office staff can attend the workplace safely where necessary, and has work remotely where attendance is not necessary.

Fórsa has referred a dispute over access to remote working in the Passport Office to a third party. The union is seeking the development of a remote working protocol that meets the needs of staff and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

 

Fórsa official Seán Carabini says that, since the onset of the pandemic, the union has sought a balance to ensure that Passport Office staff can attend the workplace safely where necessary, and has work remotely where attendance is not necessary.

 

While recent developments have seen the introduction of new working patterns to allow increased social distancing in the workplace, there is no agreed remote working protocol in place for Passport Office members at present - a situation Fórsa finds unacceptable.

 

Passport Office management had previously expressed concerns regarding security risks and remote work. Acknowledging this, Seán called on the employer to have a “common sense approach to remote work.”

 

“These are sensible concerns to have, however our disappointment comes from the fact that management appear unwilling to consider how to mitigate these risks. Simply put, I am concerned that members are called into the office unnecessarily to perform work that, with the proper risk consideration, could easily be carried out from home,” he said.

 

“There are enough departments that have similar risks and that have worked with staff to find common sense ways to mitigate the risks. We are simply asking for the same for our Passport Office members in Dublin and Cork,” said Seán.

 

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