The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union estimated that 14,500 of its members at HM Revenue and Customs took part in Tuesday's 24-hour walkout, saying it caused "significant disruption".
Inquiry lines carried recorded announcements telling people to deal with any problems online, said the union.
HM Revenue and Customs has decided not to issue penalty fines to anyone missing Tuesday's deadline for self-assessment returns, while those filing their returns on February 1 or 2 will also not be fined.
The strike is in opposition to the appointment of two private companies, Sitel and Teleperformance, to run call-handling trials in HMRC tax credit contact centres in Lillyhall in Cumbria and Bathgate in Scotland.
The year-long trials are due to start next month and the union is warning they risk paving the way for privatisation in the department, at a time when tens of thousands of civil service jobs are being cut.
On a picket line in Newcastle upon Tyne, PCS branch secretary Malcolm Smith, said: "People are very angry about this. This is part of a national dispute against the Government's plans to trial private industries to do civil servants' work. It's costing about £4 million to trial this when we are being told to cut costs and cut jobs."
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The strong support for the strike shows our members do not want their jobs and the essential services they provide undermined by privatisation."
An HMRC spokesman said: "HMRC is not privatising existing HMRC contact centre jobs but we are determined to improve the service we provide to our customers. This means considering a variety of options including drawing on the knowledge and experience of external contact centre operators.
"Industrial action is unwarranted and unnecessary. We are doing everything possible to maintain contact centre services to the public and will continue talking to the unions to address their concerns."
Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
Related Post:
business
- Impact IBM buying Texas Memory Systems
- Why RBS faces huge fine over Libor scandal
- Ofcom probes John Darwin email hacking by Sky News
- European Union will ban the sale of luxury goods for Syria
- Why George Osborne criticised over £10bn IMF loan
- Alexander and Thomas Hunter face US fraud case stock scheme
- Wexford employment fair today april 20 2012
- U.K. drug maker Glaxo Sells Bulk of Over-the-Counter Drugs
- when will Apple to create 500 jobs at European headquarters in Cork
- UK will commit £9.3bn to the International Monetary Fund
- CIMB will acquire RBS Asia-Pacific units
- HBO streaming TV series and films in Australia
- EITC offers a refundable tax credit to workers with low or moderate income
- Best Digital Compass Watches to buy
- new Ozeri Precision Digital Bath Scale 400 lb Edition prices sale
- How long did the first bank of the US last
- Israeli hacker has published details of hundreds of Saudi credit cards online
- More sales gloom for a host of high street retailers
- tesco profits prediction 2012-2013
- Fiat Gucci Edition Price Canada
- New Balance Duo Sport Watch Waterproof
- Powered by Article Dashboard money exchange rate canadian
- underground banking gold cd
- Auto Sales and Market Share in mexico
No comments:
Post a Comment