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Union says 1,000 tax jobs will go | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
HM Revenue and Customs plans to cut 1,000 jobs in Wales by 2010, a union has claimed. | |
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the losses would be in addition to 6,000 public sector jobs in Wales already under threat. | The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the losses would be in addition to 6,000 public sector jobs in Wales already under threat. |
A spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs said investment in IT systems and call centre upgrades would result in a "smaller workforce" and fewer offices. | |
The PCS is meeting next week to discuss strike action. | |
Chris Hopson, communications director of Revenue and Customs, said the service was announcing an investment of £500m per year for next five years. | |
"There will be an impact on our staff," he said. | "There will be an impact on our staff," he said. |
"You can't make that kind of investment without running an efficient and effective organisation. | "You can't make that kind of investment without running an efficient and effective organisation. |
"So yes, we will have a smaller workforce and we will have a smaller network of offices, but the reason we're doing it is because we want to improve the service to our customers." | "So yes, we will have a smaller workforce and we will have a smaller network of offices, but the reason we're doing it is because we want to improve the service to our customers." |
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, described the comments as "nonsense" and the proposals as "a political target set by the chancellor to cut 100,000 jobs in the civil services". | |
'Devastating' | 'Devastating' |
The union predicts up to 200 HM Revenue and Customs offices would close across Britain, with many of those in Wales in economically deprived areas. | The union predicts up to 200 HM Revenue and Customs offices would close across Britain, with many of those in Wales in economically deprived areas. |
Mr Serwotka said the claim of 1,000 job losses in Wales was a "conservative estimate" based on the current number of staff, the offices likely to be closed and figures given by management to staff. | |
He said: "It would be devastating for the valleys and parts of north and west Wales in terms of public sector employment. | He said: "It would be devastating for the valleys and parts of north and west Wales in terms of public sector employment. |
"But also people who at the moment take for granted that they can go and see a trained civil servant face-to-face, will now find that the public service had gone." | "But also people who at the moment take for granted that they can go and see a trained civil servant face-to-face, will now find that the public service had gone." |
A spokeswoman for HM Customs and Revenue later added that the service would consult with its "customers" to "find out what they want from us". |