Workers for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) based in Darlington and across the country have announced they will be taking strike action.

The staff, who are based at Darlington's Economic Campus are set to take strike action in relation to policy stating they should spend 40% of their time in office.

Instead they have continued to work from home.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union also based in Newport in South Wales, Titchfield in Hampshire, London, Manchester and Edinburgh voted by 92% to extend the long-running dispute.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Up until now our members have been taking action short of a strike but today they’ve voted to escalate this, which could involve an all-out strike.

“Our industrial action has until now had no tangible impact on the ONS’ outputs – which was the point, because we said our members can work at home just as well, if not better, than being in the office – but that can change now we have authority to call a full strike any time in the next six months.

“If management wants to ensure the work at ONS remains unaffected, they must engage in meaningful talks with us to end this dispute.”

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No strike dates have yet been set.

A spokesperson for the Office for National Statistics said: “We have robust plans in place and do not anticipate any disruption to key ONS publications.  

“Nevertheless, we still believe firmly that a reasonable level of office attendance - in line with the wider Civil Service - is in the best interests of the ONS and of all our colleagues. Face-to-face interaction supports personal collaboration, learning and innovation.”