Thousands of Revenue and Customs workers are to start voting on
whether to stage a one-day strike and a ban on overtime in protest at job cuts
and office closures.
The walkout will be held on January 31, the deadline for self assessment tax
returns, if there is a yes vote by members of the Public and Commercial
Services union.
The union accused the department of "ploughing on" with closures
and job losses despite deteriorating services and problems such as the recent
loss of discs containing the personal details of 25 million people.
Up to 250 offices faced closure with 25,000 jobs lost by 2011, leaving staff
having to work overtime or see consultants hired to mask the impact of the
cuts, said the union.
PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "With office closures and
13,000 job cuts to date, the department is already running on empty resulting
in deteriorating services. It is lunacy for HMRC to plough ahead with closing
over 250 offices and to cut a further 12,500 jobs by 2011.
"As HMRC’s own staff survey indicates, morale is dangerously low. These
are some of the most loyal staff, responsible for collecting taxes to build
schools and hospitals, securing our borders and overseeing the payment of tax
credits.
"HMRC cannot deliver a quality service in the face of continued
arbitrary cuts and the Government and the department need to recognise that
HMRC needs to be properly resourced and staffed if public confidence is to be
restored."
The ballot closes on January 23.
