09/01/2025
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union PCS) have confirmed eight days of strike action affecting HMRC offices at Benton Park View in Newcastle
HMRC has warned that the strike action will affect business customers using personal tax operations’ services and using the construction industry scheme (CIS), critically at the height of the self assessment filing season.
Two HMRC phone helplines specifically targeted at employers will be impacted when staff walk out over eight days until mid February. The action will take the form of strikes lasting three hours on different mornings over the period.
When the action is taking place it is advisable not to attempt to use the phonelines, which will be more difficult than ever to get through to with less staff on duty.
HMRC warned that phonelines and webchat will be open as usual but callers may experience longer wait times than usual.
An HMRC spokesperson said: ‘We have robust plans in place to ensure we continue delivering critical services for our customers during any industrial action.’
The plan is to redeploy 100 staff who work in the surge and rapid response team (SRRT) to the affected helplines.
There will be notices on the HMRC gov.uk website and through a recorded message advising that delays may be possible.
The HMRC employer enquiries page has a message: ‘Due to industrial action between 23 December 2024 and 14 February 2025, you may wait longer than usual to speak to an adviser.
‘If you can, you should use our online services rather than waiting to speak to us on the phone.’
The plan is to redeploy 100 staff who work in the surge and rapid response team (SRRT) to the affected helplines.
The PCS said the reps had been sacked in relation to their trade union activity.
The strike has been called in a bid to get three members of HMRC staff, who were union reps, reinstated after they were sacked over their trade union activity, the PCS said.
This action will involve around 0.5% of HMRC’s total workforce.
Strike dates
Pickets will be held between 7am and 10am on the following days:
Thursday 9 January (main gates)
Wednesday 15 January (Ainsthorpe Garden entrance)
Tuesday 21 January (main gates)
Thursday 23 January (Ainsthorpe Garden entrance)
Wednesday 29 January (main gates)
Wednesday 5 February (main gates)
Thursday 6 February (Ainsthorpe Garden entrance)
Friday 14 February (main gates)
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of PCS, said: ‘We’re doing everything we can with ministers, with the Cabinet Office, with anybody we can talk to, to try and bring about their re-instatement.’
https://www.accountancydaily.co/hmrc-strikers-set-eight-dates-action-against-sackings
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union PCS) have confirmed eight days of strike action affecting HMRC offices at Benton Park View in Newcastle
