When councillors don’t listen, workers act together
In July last year, Wrexham councillors consulted you and your colleagues and then ignored you. They pushed forward with imposing a new office attendance requirement of four days per week and suggested that you weren’t working hard enough.
Do you think it’s fair that councillors get to decide how you work best?
Your colleagues have been clear that they don’t think this is right. Councillors should not be able to impose their views and ignore proper employment processes without evidence.
Hybrid working is one of the few improvements we have seen in working conditions after years of pay erosion and increased service demand. We need to defend it.
We have been speaking to you and your colleagues across Wrexham council, and everyone has agreed that we need to take action to make the councillors hear us. Already, over 500 people have filled in flexible working requests, jamming up the system and securing important concessions to the new policy.
In order to turn this around and get what you want – an improved, negotiated hybrid working policy with more flexibility than a hard 4:1 split – then everyone needs to take action together.
That’s why on Wednesday 25 February, colleagues across the Ruthin Road, Lambpit Street, Guildhall and Crown Building offices are all going to attend the office together.
What will this do?
- It’s a show of strength – everyone acting together shows we are organised and mean business.
- It shows that the policy doesn’t work – we know there isn’t enough space in these offices for everyone to work at once.
- It will force the council to listen – too few desks isn’t a joke, it’s not safe and it means we work less efficiently, not more.
What do you need to do?
- Come to work in time for 9am, or whenever you normally come in, until 12
- Meet your branch officers, who will be present in all buildings to welcome you
- Talk about the dispute, what the next steps should be, take pictures of you and your colleagues struggling to find desks
- Carry on with your day – head home, if permitted, out into the field, if that’s within your role, or stay in the office and keep on working!
‘But I’m busy that day’ – that’s okay, all you need to do is come into the office and work from there – your presence is what counts
‘I’ve got other places I need to be’ – that’s understandable, everyone is busy right now. Where possible, we are asking people to rearrange or relocate work to the office for the day, as far as is appropriate.
‘Isn’t this about being able to work from home’ – it is, but it’s also about you having the ability to choose what’s best for you. By all coming in – as we are being told we must – we are showing that everyone being in the office at once isn’t appropriate or helpful in the modern working environment.
‘Will I get in trouble?’ – how can you? This is what they are telling us we have to do! The difference is that we’re all doing it at once, to show that there isn’t enough space.
‘This doesn’t affect me/I don’t mind working from the office’ – that’s understandable, and there are lots of benefits to office working. But if they’re willing to force this through against our will, what will they do next? Think about the work flexibilities that you do value and come in to defend them – because they might be next!
‘Do I have to be a UNISON member?’ – not at all, this is about showing up for yourself and your colleagues, not about the union! UNISON is calling this action and supporting anyone who wants to take part as we are the union in dispute with the council over this issue.