FAO Fórsa members working in DSP 

Union Instruction on Blended Working: Continue to work your same pattern, do not comply with an altered pattern 

Dear member,

On Thursday evening 30th January, deputy general secretary of Fórsa, Éamonn Donnelly, wrote to all Fórsa members working in the Department of Social Protection (DSP), instructing members to stick to their current hybrid working arrangements. This is in response to a directive to reduce remote working days from next week. 

This is a serious and avoidable dispute that concerns the unilateral alteration of the Blended Working Policy 2022 to the disadvantage of workers, without discussion, analytics or prior consultation. 

It is the first instance in which the Government has rolled back remote working arrangements for its own staff, following the recent publication of the new Programme for Government, which commits the new administration to a review of remote and blended work policies.

The issue was raised by unions in a meeting with the DSP on Monday 27th January and at a meeting of the Civil Service General Council on Wednesday 29th January, the main union/employer forum. 

The full instruction text is below. If you have any questions on how this impacts you, you should speak to your workplace rep, branch or official. 

UNION INSTRUCTION

Dear member,

The Framework Agreement on Blended/Remote Working 2022, is the collective agreement reached at that time between the Civil Service and the Staff Panel Group of Trade Unions on the conditions and circumstances under which blended and remote working would apply across the Civil Service. Clause 6.1 of this framework states: “This Blended Working Policy Framework will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in consultation with the employee representative bodies to adapt to any changes required to meet  the needs of the business and employees  and to incorporate any broader strategies, legislative changes and approaches to new ways of working”.

In July 2024, the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) issued an Evaluation Model Document, outlining how an assessment and analysis of blended working could be carried out in consideration of organisational needs and employee needs. In late 2024, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) announced its intention to unilaterally alter the conditions of blended working as they had applied up to that point. These changes, which significantly disadvantage workers, are scheduled to be introduced during the first week in February. No prior consultation or discussion took place with Fórsa on this matter. This lack of engagement is in clear breach of the Framework Agreement, and also is in clear breach of the Public Service Agreement 2024 to 2026.

At a meeting on 27th January, the DSP when asked for the type of analytics which were used in its review of blended working stated that no analytics were used. Furthermore the DSP also stated that it did not see any requirement to consult with trade unions on the blended working alterations.

The matter was raised at the Civil Service Industrial Relations Forum (The General Council of which DPENDR and The Staff Panel of Unions are custodians) on 29th January. At that meeting DPENDR reaffirmed that in cases where Blended Working Policies are being reviewed, consultation and engagement must take place with trade unions as provided for in the Framework Agreement and it re-iterated that it had provided Departments with an Evaluation Model.

In the context of the above, we are now entering into a serious dispute. The particular dispute concerns the unilateral alteration of the Blended Working Policy to the disadvantage of workers, without discussion, analytics or consultation. However, in this instance the behaviour of the DSP has significantly broadened the dispute. Quite simply, the DSP has set about achieving a deliberate attack on workers terms and conditions and has done so without any negotiation with the trade union. No union could or should tolerate such a circumstance.

Accordingly, members who have been working  a blended or remote working pattern up to now are instructed by Fórsa to continue to work the same pattern and not to comply with any altered pattern which the DSP has introduced until such time as this matter can find resolution. Fórsa will now begin preparation for a protective ballot for industrial action should any members be threatened with disciplinary action for complying with this union instruction.

Yours Sincerely,

Éamonn Donnelly

Deputy General Secretary, Head of Civil Service Division