Ryan FowlerThe Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has notified HM Land Registry of planned indefinite industrial action short of a strike, starting Tuesday 21st January. The action will involve nearly 4,000 PCS members across 14 offices in England and Wales.
The dispute centres on three key issues. Firstly, Land Registry’s enforcement of a strict 60% office attendance policy, coupled with what PCS describes as an “unreasonable disciplinary regime.” PCS argues this has negatively affected members by reducing workplace flexibility, lengthening commuting times, increasing financial burdens, and impacting personal wellbeing.
Secondly, PCS is challenging changes to the job classification system. Under the new arrangement, staff are required to undertake tasks aligned with higher grades without additional pay. The union claims this breaches previous agreements and obscures the need for more senior staff.
Thirdly, the union opposes the use of personal performance data to assess staff performance, a practice that it says contravenes a 2021 agreement between PCS and management.
The planned action will consist of a work to rule, where members will refuse to take on extra tasks beyond their job descriptions or cover for colleagues.
Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said: “Our members at the Land Registry are disappointed the employer imposed changes to their working conditions without prior agreement. We call on management to work with us to find a solution that’s fair and acceptable to our members. It would cost them nothing and might help Land Registry regain some of the goodwill required to make progress in clearing the huge backlogs of work.”
