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| Civil servants strike over cuts | Civil servants strike over cuts |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Up to 23,000 civil servants are to strike across Wales as part of a UK-wide protest over jobs, pay and privatisation. | Up to 23,000 civil servants are to strike across Wales as part of a UK-wide protest over jobs, pay and privatisation. |
| Job centres, benefit offices, driving exams and customs work are likely to be hit by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) action. | Job centres, benefit offices, driving exams and customs work are likely to be hit by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) action. |
| The action follows Chancellor Gordon Brown's 2004 announcement that 104,000 civil servant posts would be cut. | The action follows Chancellor Gordon Brown's 2004 announcement that 104,000 civil servant posts would be cut. |
| The union said Wales stood to lose more than 10,000 of those jobs by 2011. | The union said Wales stood to lose more than 10,000 of those jobs by 2011. |
| The union has called the strike action as part of its dispute with the government over planned job cuts. | The union has called the strike action as part of its dispute with the government over planned job cuts. |
| Things will simply get worse if we take no action, so reluctantly we have been compelled to make our concerns public Chris Hall, PCS national executive | Things will simply get worse if we take no action, so reluctantly we have been compelled to make our concerns public Chris Hall, PCS national executive |
| The PCS said the cuts programme would have a bigger impact on the Welsh economy than any other part of the UK because Wales has proportionately more civil servants. | The PCS said the cuts programme would have a bigger impact on the Welsh economy than any other part of the UK because Wales has proportionately more civil servants. |
| Picket lines are expected outside official buildings across the country and the union said it was also drawing up plans for further "guerrilla" action at later dates. | Picket lines are expected outside official buildings across the country and the union said it was also drawing up plans for further "guerrilla" action at later dates. |
| Margaret Davies, who has worked at the Merthyr Tydfil tax office for 10 years, said civil servants in Wales were "disappointed" with they way they were being treated. | Margaret Davies, who has worked at the Merthyr Tydfil tax office for 10 years, said civil servants in Wales were "disappointed" with they way they were being treated. |
| "We're undergoing a consultation where [the UK Government] intend moving work out of Merthyr tax office and centralising it in Cardiff. | |
| "A lot of people are not going to be able to travel to Cardiff. They won't be able to make the journey with public transport as it is in the Valleys," she said. | "A lot of people are not going to be able to travel to Cardiff. They won't be able to make the journey with public transport as it is in the Valleys," she said. |
| "We in Merthyr are worried about our jobs. We're worried whether our jobs will even exist in a year's time and we feel we need to strike to get the point over to central government that we will not be treated this way." | "We in Merthyr are worried about our jobs. We're worried whether our jobs will even exist in a year's time and we feel we need to strike to get the point over to central government that we will not be treated this way." |
| Chris Hall, who serves on the union's national executive, and is a court clerk based in Wrexham said: "Hard-working staff and members across north Wales are disillusioned and fear for their futures, with pensions under threat and jobs already being outsourced to private companies. | Chris Hall, who serves on the union's national executive, and is a court clerk based in Wrexham said: "Hard-working staff and members across north Wales are disillusioned and fear for their futures, with pensions under threat and jobs already being outsourced to private companies. |
| As a democratic institution, the assembly respects the right of its staff to take legal strike action Lord Elis Thomas | As a democratic institution, the assembly respects the right of its staff to take legal strike action Lord Elis Thomas |
| "In the courts we now have private security guards and fine enforcement officers taking the work previously done 'in house' by loyal workers who provided the public with a better quality of service. | "In the courts we now have private security guards and fine enforcement officers taking the work previously done 'in house' by loyal workers who provided the public with a better quality of service. |
| "Things will simply get worse if we take no action, so reluctantly we have been compelled to make our concerns public." | "Things will simply get worse if we take no action, so reluctantly we have been compelled to make our concerns public." |
| Speakers from a number of political parties will address a rally at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. Marches or meetings are also planned at Bangor, Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham. | Speakers from a number of political parties will address a rally at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. Marches or meetings are also planned at Bangor, Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham. |
| Debates at the Welsh assembly have been cancelled and the Senedd debating chamber is closed to the public, although the assembly government said it was not expecting to be hit hard by the strike. | Debates at the Welsh assembly have been cancelled and the Senedd debating chamber is closed to the public, although the assembly government said it was not expecting to be hit hard by the strike. |
| Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis Thomas is to visit the picket line at the Senedd on Wednesday morning to give his support to the strikers. | Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis Thomas is to visit the picket line at the Senedd on Wednesday morning to give his support to the strikers. |
| He said: "As a democratic institution, the assembly respects the right of its staff to take legal strike action." | He said: "As a democratic institution, the assembly respects the right of its staff to take legal strike action." |