Fórsa has secured a commitment that the Department of Foreign Affairs enter a mediation process to explore and agree more remote working options in the passport office while pandemic restrictions remain in place.

It was reported in the media last week that the passport service has temporarily paused the processing of routine applications while Ireland remains at Level Five restrictions. The union has continued to explore and propose more remote working options, following the experience of staff who took part in shift work on a temporary basis during 2020.

Fórsa official Seán Carabini explained: “The passport offices cannot physically accommodate all of their workers safely on-site at the same time. In many instances there simply isn’t enough space.

“The union has always insisted that there are remote working options available that have not yet been fully considered. Management has, so far, resisted any proposals we’ve made on remote alternatives, but the mediated process now agreed will give both sides the scope to explore tangible and practical solutions, designed to ensure continuity of service while restrictions of anything below Level Five are in place,” he said.

Seán said staff took part in shift working during 2020 on an emergency, temporary basis: “However, this is not a fully workable solution to get us through to the end of the pandemic. It’s time to dig deeper and find more work that can be done remotely, and we’re confident we can do that.”

Seán said recent media reports indicated that a move to Level Four would increase passport office activity, which raised some concern among members. Seán added: “That announcement is unrelated to our call for more remote working options and the union has written to the department to clarify this.

“We’re not out of the Covid woods just yet. All the advice is to proceed cautiously in the coming months, and we want to ensure that level of caution applies to the passport office too. If there’s a way to increase remote working, the department needs to work with us to ensure that it happens. A mediated agreement would allow both sides to find a safe and workable way forward,” he said.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.