HMRC staff will stage walkouts in a row over low pay tomorrow.
More than 400 workers from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will go on strike for 18 days — starting tomorrow (May 10), with more dates slated for later in May and June, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has said.
The union says it is expecting the action to cause significant problems for businesses and individuals across the UK.
Here is everything we know:
Which HMRC services are striking?
A total of 432 PCS members who are currently working as customer service advisers in the department of Personal Taxation Operations on Employer Service in HMRC will stop work.
The staff members on the walkout are currently based in Glasgow and Newcastle upon Tyne. The team going on strike helps customers with tax issues. Their helplines cover issues such as queries on Pay As You Earn (PAYE), National Insurance, and Self Assessment.
The strike is also expected to impact the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) helpline, the student loans unit, maternity, paternity, and sick pay lines, and Penalties and Expenses.
When is HMRC striking?
This group of workers will walk out from tomorrow (May 10) to May 12 initially. There are further strikes planned for:
- May 15 to 19
- May 22 to 26
- May 29 to 31
- June 1 and 2
Why is HMRC striking?
The PCS says the action is part of their national campaign over “pay, pensions, job security, and redundancy terms which began in November”.
A spokesman said the UK Government needs to take the “demands seriously” as they are “determined to keep the pressure on until the government improves its offer to members”.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our hard-working members in HMRC are fed up with being treated with disdain by a government that doesn’t seem to care about its own staff.
“If they did, ministers would be able to stop this strike action tomorrow by making a fair offer to help our members through the cost-of-living crisis and beyond.”
The PCS also has called on its members to take e-action and try to arrange a meeting with their local MPs to talk face-to-face about the issues.
