Scottish Ofgem workers balloted for strike action amid pay and jobs dispute

Scottish workers are among hundreds of Ofgem staff being balloted over strike action amid a pay and jobs dispute.

Ballots opened on Thursday for more than 700 employees at sites in Glasgow, London and Cardiff who are Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members.

The move follows what the union describes as a number of “provocative” actions by the energy regulator.

Specifically, disputes have been raised over pay, job cuts and office attendance.

PCS said attempts to solve pay issues have been a “piecemeal approach”, adding an agreement must be found that benefits all staff.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Managers have failed either to give any reason for our members to go into the office more often or to explain what’s wrong with the current arrangement.

“There is no evidence that mandatory office attendance does anything to increase productivity, so we believe managers are being deliberately provocative by insisting on an unnecessary change.

“Rather than driving through sticking plaster solutions for organisation-wide problems, they should reach agreement with us before committing to changes that risk industrial action.

“We’re happy to work with Ofgem, providing we can assure our members that their interests will be protected. They must have the confidence to plan for their futures.”

An Ofgem spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to hear the PCS has today announced they will be balloting their members on possible industrial action.

“Around a third of Ofgem’s workforce are members of PCS and we continue to engage with PCS and staff on these important issues.

“As with the rest of the public sector, it’s vital we are as efficient and effective as possible for the households and businesses we serve, while also ensuring we attract and retain the people and skills we need.

“We still hope to resolve these issues without industrial action, but should they proceed, our priority will be to serve energy consumers across Britain.”