The Government says it is “dismayed to note” that the GGCA has decided to declare a dispute, to commence on Monday of next week, that will mean that the DSS staff will no longer answer phone calls or attend to their emails. The Government says it is especially concerned that the GGCA should have declared a dispute “knowing full well – as their own press release states - that services to the community will be affected, including the payment of benefits to members of the public who depend on them to make ends meet.”

A statement continued: “The Government acknowledges that the staff at the DSS have been working extremely hard to maintain the service delivery throughout the last months and therefore praises the professionalism in which they have, to date, tackled the challenges that have come their way. It is also acknowledged that the staff have gone out of their way to ensure that everyone who is in receipt of a benefit is paid in a timely manner, and that they do not suffer any possible financial hardship. Unfortunately, the identification of suitable premises that would cater for the specific requirements of the DSS have proved to be complex, with various premises having been identified. However, after consultation with the staff at the DSS, they were deemed by them as not suitable for their needs.

“We are now very close to the date when the permanent premises will be handed over to the DSS. Therefore, the Government considers that it is totally unacceptable that services to the public should be negatively affected, especially the payment of benefits to vulnerable members of our community, and other individuals in need of such payments, who will unnecessarily suffer economic hardship as a result of this industrial action. This is particularly the case in circumstances where Government has communicated directly with the GGCA President, Ms Wendy Cumming, who is aware that a permanent solution to house the entire DSS staff will be completed by, approximately, mid-June.

“The DSS will shortly move into their new offices at New Harbours from where Housing Department officials currently work. It is critical to highlight that whilst the contractor completes the refurbishment works for the new Housing Department offices, the Government has ensured that staff at the DSS have temporary arrangements in different government premises and made other arrangements for remote working. Regrettably, the works have not yet been completed for reasons over which the Government has had no control. Moreover, the furniture for the staff at the new Housing Department offices is estimated to arrive within the next four weeks, and it is envisaged that the physical move should not take longer than a week. This will mean that the relocation of the DSS staff will ensure that they have a new, permanent home within the next six weeks.”

The Minister for Industrial relations, Steven Linares, said: ‘I am genuinely disappointed that the GGCA have decided to take industrial action when Government has kept the union and its members fully abreast of all developments and given that they knew full well that the works for the new premises for DSS staff will be complete very soon. The union and its members know that the works were delayed for well-known reasons and in respect of which the Government had no control. It goes without saying that I have also met personally with the staff in order to hear their concerns and to keep them updated. Given that the permanent solution of housing the entire DSS staff in modern and excellent new premises is, approximately, six weeks away, I sincerely trust that the GGCA will reconsider its decision to proceed with this entirely unnecessary industrial action. I ask the union and its members to especially take into account the wholly unjustifiable financial hardship that its actions will cause to blameless and vulnerable members of our community, and individuals in need, who will suffer.’