The GGCA says as from Monday 9th May, staff of the Department of Social Security (DSS) will no longer be answering any phone calls or replying to/sending any emails which will impact the services provided to the public, including the paying out of benefits. The GGCA says this is because staff will be dealing with the back office work which has been building up since the evacuation of Governor’s Parade in January 2022.

A statement from the GGCA follows below:

As previously reported by the GGCA, the Department of Social Security (‘DSS’) membership has, since 2019, been housed in a dilapidated building. DSS staff were finally evacuated in January this year, as consistent water penetration had rendered the building’s electrical system unsafe.
 
 Since the evacuation, the department has been ‘homeless’, with officers working from home and from small temporary offices provided by other departments. 

A dispute on this matter was declared on the 3rd February 2022, however, industrial action was not commenced as the official side gave reassurances that new, fit for purpose premises would be provided by 1st April 2022. To date, no premises have been made available, and staff have desperately continued to provide services in extremely challenging conditions. At present,only 10 workstations are available. Officers are hot desking with 10 PCs, and operating with 3 printers and insufficient telephone lines.

The majority of officers still have to work from home, which is extremely difficult to organize as the department is still largely paper based. 

Clearly, these working conditions are unsustainable and the workforce has come to breaking point. Therefore, the only remaining option for the GGCA at present is the commencement of industrial action.

As from Monday 9th May 2022 staff will no longer be answering any phone calls or replying to/ sending any emails. This will impact the services provided to the public, including the paying out of benefits. The staff will instead be dealing with the back office work which has been building up since the evacuation of Governor’s Parade in January 2022.

The membership has tried to maintain continuity of services at all costs, but unfortunately the resolution of this matter has not been prioritized by the GOG. It is the GGCA view that industrial action now needs to be taken as a last resort.