HMRC workers balloted over strike action over sacked reps

The union representing HMRC employees is balloting members based in Newcastle for industrial action in support of three sacked reps

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) called the vote after the sacking by HMRC earlier this year of three  elected union representatives, Gordon Askew, Rachel Farmer and Joel Hamilton.

The PCS union reps were working at HMRC's employer services’ office at Benton Park View, where these particular teams handle personal tax operations. The Newcastle facility is a multi agency site housing various government departments including HMRC and the DWP.

Following a successful consultative ballot, PCS is to hold a statutory ballot for industrial action for members in administrative assistant (AA) and administrative officer (AO) grades working in employer services at Benton Park View in support of the sacked reps.

PCS said it would ‘move to industrial action if HMRC does not re-employ the reps who were unfairly dismissed’.

An HMRC spokesperson told Business & Accountancy Daily: ‘We do not comment on staff employment matters.’

The ballot opened on 18 November and will run until 9 December. Over 200 members in personal tax operations’ employer services will be balloted.

PCS members taking part in the action will be paid full strike pay for the duration of any strike action that may be called from the union’s fighting fund, the PCS said. This will not be paid from the national campaign levy currently being taken from members’ subscriptions as this is ring-fenced specifically for the union’s national campaign.

This is not the first time action has been taken at the site. In 2023 strike action also took place in employer services at Benton Park View, demanding fair pay, pensions and jobs.

The PCS said the 2023 action was ‘the real reason why these PCS reps have been sacked. Local management have clearly decided to attack the branch, to try to make it harder for the union to organise action in the future’.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: ‘No trade union rep should lose their job for carrying out their union duties.’

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