Telford tax offices hit by strike
More than 460 staff from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in Telford took part in strike action today in protest at ‘massive cuts’.
More than 460 staff from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in Telford took part in strike action today in protest at ‘massive cuts’.
They claim the cuts undermined efforts to clamp down on tax avoidance schemes.
The workers, from three offices in Telford, took to picket lines from 6.30am for the four hour walkout.
Eighty-four per cent of Telford’s 550 HMRC employees, who work out of Reynolds House, Abbey House and Kelsall House in Telford, joined 50,000 other workers on strike across the country.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said 30,000 jobs have been axed since 2005 and a further 10,000 were set to go, ‘undermining’ efforts to investigate schemes such as the one used by comedian Jimmy Carr, which sparked a political row last week.
Mike Veric, a member of PCS Midlands regional committee, said an estimated £120 billion was lost every year because of tax evasion and avoidance. He claimed that HMRC did not have enough resources.
The strike is also in opposition to ‘creeping privatisation’ in the department, which is currently trialling the use of private firms to handle tax credit inquiries.
The strike will be followed by other forms of action.
A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs said the strike decision was disappointing.
Comments for: "Telford tax offices hit by strike"
Dawley Dave
The Tories are busy trying to scapegoat young people for being a drain on public finances, but they won't put any effort into tackling rich tax-dodgers.
Industrial action is often portrayed as being irresponsible and selfish, but PCS are fighting here to both protect their members and to push for fairer priorities in general.
Keep up the good work!
H. St. John Peasbody
Well done to the strikers. All workers should rise up and take control of this country from the politicians and unelected House of Lords. This strike is the first rung on a long ladder but we can do it if we work together. Let's take down this evil Tory government.
Telford Ron
Great, lets do just that. We can then revert to the clowns in the last administration that got us into this mess.
shaun
Milliband will spend he doesn't need tax revenue pointless strike they should get back to work.
Genbac
This is terrible news that the Tax Men are going on strike, Without them how can the government collect funds for essentials this country needs such as nuclear weapons, submarines & funding for our beloved Royal Family??
I am devestated that this could be considered so close to the Diamond Jubilee.
pete
dig in and starve them out like scargill eh?
D
Having spent the last 2 weeks trying to sort out the mess the tax office staff made of my mothers tax code following the introduction of her pension I have no sympathy since the idiots I was being forced to deal with clearly had no training regarding taxation and computations, at one point I was talking them through a computation after they estimated that chicken packing pays over £45000 per year! It even transpired that as a financial accountant I was much more qualified then the staff I was having to deal with, one hadn't got an accounting or taxation qualification to his name!
When they learn to do the job properly then I'll take some notice of their plight.
mistydreamer
You think they're bad. I've been waiting five weeks for telford council to sort my council tax out.