A leading trade union has voted to quit a government review into racism and bullying in the Cabinet Office after branding it a ‘whitewash’.
Working members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) voted to withdraw from the department’s Respect and Inclusion Review, accusing managers of presiding over a “paper exercise” and showing no real desire to tackle discrimination.
According to the Cabinet Office’s own survey of staff in January, the department has the joint highest incidents of bullying and harassment in Whitehall.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our members had concerns about the terms of reference, scope and handling of the review right at the start of the process.
“When they were told they wouldn’t be provided with the full draft report, they decided to walk away...and who can blame them? They had no faith in the process.
“They didn’t want to be complicit to a whitewash. They want everyone to be able to work in an environment free from racism, disablism and abuse.
“This report was more interested in damage limitation and covering up incidents than it was in addressing them so for them to have any credibility, their only option was to withdraw from the review.”
The Cabinet Office, however, said unions and other stakeholders have been “regularly engaged throughout the review process”, including through dedicated sessions with representatives.
The probe was ordered by the Cabinet Office at the end of last year after a series of official complaints against senior managers in the department which describes itself as “the centre of government”.
Calls for the review were initially resisted but the Government relented after union representatives threatened to report bosses to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
PCS pressed forward with its EHRC referral last year and the body is awaiting the outcomes of employment tribunals before providing feedback on complaints, The Independent understands.
This comes after The Independent revealed concerns about systemic problems within the Cabinet Office from a top civil servant.
Kay Badu, a Black civil servant who worked within Government Digital Service, was handed a six-figure payout by the government over allegations he faced racial discrimination in Whitehall, we reported, though the Cabinet Office said it did not admit liability and does not accept a number of the claims which have been made.
Politicians and campaigners including the Labour Party, Green Party, Stand Up To Racism and Black Lives Matter have called for ministers to carry out an investigation into the department’s approach to race issues.
Former deputy cabinet secretary Dame Helen Macnamara, who recently left the organisation, warned of a “systemic” problem with race in the department towards the end of her tenure.
Mr Badu described how he had been subjected to bullying at the hands of white managers over the course of three years in the Cabinet Office, which left him with depression, anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. At one stage, he contemplated suicide.
“How many generations have to go through this? My mum was racially abused at work. I was racially abused at work. So when I have kids...are they going to be racially abused at work as well? When is this going to stop?” he said.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Office does not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination in any form.
"The Respect and Inclusion Review builds on actions already taken and will help ensure we are a supportive, fully inclusive and welcoming place to work.
"Unions and other stakeholders have and continue to be regularly engaged throughout this process, including through dedicated sessions with representatives."
Following the conclusion of the review, Cabinet Office Trade Union representatives and their members will receive the same report as all Cabinet Office staff, the spokesperson added.
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