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| Customs staff in desk clutter ban | Customs staff in desk clutter ban |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Staff at Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have condemned "hare-brained" plans to remove items such as family pictures from work areas to boost productivity. | Staff at Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have condemned "hare-brained" plans to remove items such as family pictures from work areas to boost productivity. |
| New rules in tax offices mean desks must be free from clutter to promote "efficient business processing". | |
| Mark Serwotka, of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, said the moves were "de-skilling" and "dehumanising" staff. | Mark Serwotka, of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, said the moves were "de-skilling" and "dehumanising" staff. |
| Non-essential items include money, memorabilia and packed lunches. | Non-essential items include money, memorabilia and packed lunches. |
| Essential items that are allowed in workstations include calculators and pens. | Essential items that are allowed in workstations include calculators and pens. |
| The HMRC's Lean programme, which aims to improve efficiency, has already resulted in a work to rule and overtime ban among 14,000 civil servants. | The HMRC's Lean programme, which aims to improve efficiency, has already resulted in a work to rule and overtime ban among 14,000 civil servants. |
| Memo anger | Memo anger |
| Now an internal memo from a senior manager in North Wales has caused further controversy, with the document saying Lean has been successfully introduced into the main processing centres in North Wales. | Now an internal memo from a senior manager in North Wales has caused further controversy, with the document saying Lean has been successfully introduced into the main processing centres in North Wales. |
| It goes on to suggest that: "Its introduction is only the start of the Lean journey. Lean does not stand still. Much more needs to be done." | It goes on to suggest that: "Its introduction is only the start of the Lean journey. Lean does not stand still. Much more needs to be done." |
| Mr Serwotka, who is general secretary of the PCS, said: "By reducing staff to nothing more than machines on the whim of consultants, the department is undermining the morale of staff who face imminent job cuts and office closures. | Mr Serwotka, who is general secretary of the PCS, said: "By reducing staff to nothing more than machines on the whim of consultants, the department is undermining the morale of staff who face imminent job cuts and office closures. |
| "It is ridiculous that, unlike their colleagues working for the same organisation in the same office, this group of workers are being banned from having things such as a photo of a loved one on their desk." | "It is ridiculous that, unlike their colleagues working for the same organisation in the same office, this group of workers are being banned from having things such as a photo of a loved one on their desk." |
| Scheme criticised | Scheme criticised |
| The union said the HMRC's claims that Lean would deliver efficiency gains of 30% lay in "tatters". | The union said the HMRC's claims that Lean would deliver efficiency gains of 30% lay in "tatters". |
| The PCS also described the scheme as "hare-brained" and claimed there is a huge backlog of post from taxpayers. | The PCS also described the scheme as "hare-brained" and claimed there is a huge backlog of post from taxpayers. |
| A spokesman for HMRC said: "Lean is all about offering a better service to our customers and staff. It is a key element in HMRC's plan to provide improved service and meet efficiency targets. | A spokesman for HMRC said: "Lean is all about offering a better service to our customers and staff. It is a key element in HMRC's plan to provide improved service and meet efficiency targets. |
| "Staff are asked to organise their desks when shared with colleagues to avoid clutter and to make sure they have everything set up to do their job effectively. | "Staff are asked to organise their desks when shared with colleagues to avoid clutter and to make sure they have everything set up to do their job effectively. |
| "Any suggestion that staff are restricted to a pen and cup on their desk is simply not true. | "Any suggestion that staff are restricted to a pen and cup on their desk is simply not true. |
| "Rather than making work boring and repetitive, staff are being invited to work with their managers to improve the way tasks and systems are developed." | "Rather than making work boring and repetitive, staff are being invited to work with their managers to improve the way tasks and systems are developed." |