8/12/2019 Pcs Hmrc June Strikes 2014

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www.socialistworker.co.uk

P CS MEMBERS IN HMRC AREstriking across Britain from 23-27 June over issues that not only

affects staff in HMRC, but also thosewho we provide a service for.

On 30 June all 281 public enquiry of ces

will close. This means that the public willno longer have access to a free tax adviceservice.

It will be devastating for the mostvunerable―those claiming tax credits,disabled people and pensioners―whoregularly use the enquiry of ces to ensurethey get complicated tax forms right.

Instead, these tax payers will be forcedto either try to complete forms online ormake contact via HMRC’s understaffedcall centres.

Of course these are the same call centresthat have come under recent scrutiny for

their high call charges and lengthy waitingtimes.The attacks HMRC workers are ghting

against are part of the war on the poorthat is being waged by this Tory-ledgovernment. HMRC staff are also ghtingfor their jobs. Bosses plan to slash a further10,000 jobs by 2016, on top of the 30,000already cut over the last 5 years.

ViciousMany of ces have closed and services aresuffering. Most of these jobs have so far

been lost by so called ‘natural wastage’,through staff being pushed to take‘voluntary’ packages.

In fact, in the consultation currentlytaking place in 14 locations wherevoluntary exit schemes have already beenrun, staff have indicated they’d rather stay.

There was also a consultation on thefuture of 2,270 Fixed Term Appointmentstaff, who were brought in over the lastfour years. This was done to alleviate the

pressure on services that HMRC werecriticised for by both the National AuditOf ce and Public Accounts Committee.

Shockingly, despite this, compulsoryredundancies on a large scale seem to be

just around the corner.Large numbers in Debt Management &

Banking, Bene ts & Credits and RegionalPost Rooms face an uncertain future witha vicious employer hell bent on pushingthrough privatisation.

Those that do keep their jobs and stay inthe public sector are dealing with wholesaleattacks on terms and conditions.

HMRC bosses are continuing withtheir draconian Performance ManagementSystem―designed to strike fear into staff.

Through this arbitrary system, bossesinsist that 10 percent of workers must becategorised as failing every year.

This represents a cynical move to allowthe bosses to cut more jobs on the cheap

by forcing staff into poor performancemeasures allowing them to be sacked.

FreezesStaff are suffering after years of below

in ation pay rises and pay freezes thatmeans that in real terms they haveexperienced a 16 percent pay cut over thelast ve years.

There is still a tax gap of around £120 billion a year that is uncollected, evaded oravoided―there’d be no need for cuts if wecollected that!

STRIKE TOGETHER TOSMASH TORY AUSTERITY

As 1.5 million workers prepare for united action...

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pcs hmrc strike jun14

But there is no political will to run thetax system properly and collect this tax asmany of the offenders are friends of the

butchers making the savage cuts.PCS members in HMRC must take

action now to protect our own futures, andto protect the services we deliver.

StrikesThis set of rolling strikes is just the

beginning of the PCS jobs and staf ngcampaign.

Members must get behind the groupaction as well as the national action over

pay―it is part of the same ght.Strong strikes in HMRC will help build

momentum towards the 10 July nationalstrike, where we’ll be coordinatingwith teachers in the NUT, Unison localgovernment and potentially FBU reghters too.

This kind of united action, if escalated,can drive back these nasty Tories.

HMRC pickets at Euston Tower