HM Land Registry staff vote to strike over compulsory office attendance

Hundreds of HM Land Registry staff could go on strike over a civil service mandate to work in the office three days a week – however the agency has told the Gazette that any industrial action is unlikely to affect conveyancing transactions.

Last week the Public Services and Commercial Union announced that thousands of members working for Land Registry voted for strike action after being ordered back to the office for three days a week. Some 3,800 workers based in 14 offices ‘are also concerned about the employer inappropriately using personal data and having to accept extra responsibilities without pay'.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: ‘The government doesn’t seem to learn that applying arbitrary targets on office attendance doesn’t increase productivity and is unpopular with staff members. If they want a motivated, hard-working workforce, ministers should trust their own employees to have some say over their working conditions, rather than acting like Victorian bosses. It’s not too late for management to avoid strike action by ending this dispute.’

HM Land Registry told the Gazette any industrial action should not affect conveyancing transactions, noting that essential services were maintained during industrial action in 2023.

A spokesperson said: ‘HM Land Registry has plans in place to manage services during any periods of industrial action. We have consistently delivered essential services such as searches, registrations (including expedites), and customer contact during previous periods of industrial action and there is no reason why any potential future action should impact any forthcoming transactions.

‘We will continue to review our processes and will inform our customers of the measures we will put in place, if and when any industrial action is called by the PCS union.’

Land Registry said it has always aligned office attendance with civil service expectations. In October, the Cabinet Office said civil servants must spend at least 60% of their time in a government building or on official business.

Land Registry is developing 'dashboards’ to enable caseworkers to view their individual productivity, quality and training needs - but stressed that the process involves performance, not personal, data.

The organisation added that the 1,700 new caseworkers recruited over the last there years require ‘heavy and sustained’ investment in training, which involves being able to demonstrate their potential to take on more complex work to build their confidence and capability.

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