The Morning Star reports that 50,000 tax workers are being balloted on industrial action in a dispute over job cuts.
The
Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) which announced the ballot
yesterday.
PCS is quoted:
“Despite significant opposition, HMRC is pressing ahead with the closure of all its 281 walk-in enquiry centres.This will cut face-to-face tax advice for millions of people, particularly older people and migrant workers, and put 1,300 jobs at risk.”
The ballot closes on Friday, May 16. If members vote
for action, PCS is planning to launch a series of one-day and shorter
strikes, and other forms of industrial action.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said:
“A decade of cuts has left HMRC unable to cope with its crucial job of collecting the taxes that fund the other public services we all rely on.These cuts must be stopped and the government must invest in our society and a serious clampdown on the tax dodgers who deprive our public finances of tens of billions of pounds a year.”
"The irony is not lost on us or our members who see one of the richest people in Britain dodging his tax on the same day as we are being forced to ballot our members in HMRC on industrial action. The department is intent on more privatisation and cutting of our members’ jobs which will lead to less capactiy (PCS may want to spell check their site) for collection of taxes. We want to close the widening tax gap whereas this government seems happy to let billionaires get away with tax avoidance.”Will industrial action change the current direction of HMRC, and improve its performance?
Please feel free to share your views.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Industrial action is unlikely to be effective.
ReplyDeleteJoe Public detests overpaid, underworked gold plated pension provided civil servants.
The reality of the issues being somewhat different is of no interest to the public whatsoever, and by the time the effects of the closures and job losses are understood and felt it will be too late.
Whilst some of the staff will be 2nd income earners on term time contracts or pre retirement reduced or part-time contracts there will be many who are single salary earners for whom the thought of re-entering the job market after 20 years or more at or near retirement age will be faced with a mixture of trepidation and fear. Remember, most people entered the civil service for job security and accepted a lesser salary by comparison for doing so.
Still, PCS should be OK though, can always sell off their multi-million London HQ for a mega Bucks, Yen or Shekels or even Euro's in a few years if their salaries look iffy? Negotiate a sweetheart deal with the taxman and fly off to a tax haven in retirement on those salaries and capital gains on the property!
"overpaid, underworked gold plated pension"
DeleteIf those people in the private sector had of spoken up when Thatcher stole their pensions there might not be so much of this "people in the civil service get everything" attitude. I worked in HMCE/HMRC for 7 years and barely made 15,000 a year. In fact a massive amount of people there make between 15-17,000 a year. There is a cabal of overpaid uslesss muppets at HMRC senior managment level but most people worked their assess of for a salary your not going to have the time of your life on.
Pardon? ("had of spoken"; "your not going to..."; "assess"). Not really surprising you barely made £15,000 a year!
DeleteOne assumes you left HMRC to go back to school. I hope to God you didn't write letters to the public.
DeleteThe PCS never lets facts get in the way of rhetoric - "this government seems happy to let billionaires get away with tax avoidance". The apparent settlement was in 2008, so it was actually the last Labour government who was happy. Way to go, comrades!
ReplyDelete