Strike action | ONS staff refuse plans to return to office for two days

Employees at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have refused demands from bosses to go back into the office two days a week, threatening industrial action against.

The government organisation announced its workforce will be required to return to the office 40% of the week from April – up from 20%.

Over 1000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said they wouldn’t be “forced back” to the office, and employees in areas such as Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh have already favoured industrial action.

An ONS spokesperson, said: "We are disappointed PCS has chosen to take industrial action despite the range of flexibilities built into our hybrid working arrangements."