Records bureau staff work to rule

The action could affect those applying for clearance to work with children

Hundreds of staff from the Criminal Records Bureau in England and Wales have started a work to rule in protest at a 0.5% pay rise.

The Public and Commercial Services Union has urged members to refuse to work overtime and not to exceed targets for processing criminal record checks.

Union officials said the action could increase the time it takes applicants to get clearance to work with children.

But a CRB spokeswoman denied the action would significantly impact services.

Criminal records checks are usually processed in about four weeks, but the union suggested the process could take more than eight weeks when the actions of up to 450 staff in Liverpool take effect.

The CRB conducts criminal records checks on behalf of employers throughout England and Wales.

There are separate disclosure services for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

'Sense of betrayal'

The work-to-rule has begun in the final week of voting by all 270,000 members of the union for strikes over the government's public sector pay policy.

A series of strikes over public sector pay has already hit job centres, passports, coastguards and other government departments and agencies.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Industrial action is a last resort but there is growing sense of betrayal over the government's public sector pay cap."

He added: "The disruption from the work to rule in the CRB could be made worse if members back a programme of national pay strikes later this week. "

However, the CRB has played down the likely impact of the union's action, saying it did not expect there to be any "significant impact on its ability to delivery its service to its customers".

A spokewoman added: "The CRB will remain open for business as usual."