25.06.12
HMRC staff strike against job cuts
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff are going on strike over job cuts and “creeping privatisation”, the union PCS has announced.
The staff are protesting against plans to cut 10,000 posts at HMRC by 2014/15. Union members are also opposed to year-long trials using private companies to handle tax credit enquiries at two centres inLillyhall,Cumbriaand Bathgate,West Lothian.
A lack of resources has meant that billions have been lost annually through tax evasion and avoidance, although HMRC states it is on target to increase the tax take.
A spokesman said: “We are seeking dialogue with the PCS to address their concerns and will work to minimise any disruption to our customers.
“In our 2010 spending review the Government made £917m available to us to tackle avoidance, evasion and fraud. This is being used to increase our tax take from compliance work by £7bn a year in 2014/15 which we are on target to do.”
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the case for investment in public services “could not be more obvious than it is at the HMRC”.
“Yet the Government wants to cut 10,000 more jobs from the department, letting the wealthy tax dodgers off the hook and punishing the rest of us for a recession we did not cause.”
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