spot Campaigns

spot Organisations

spot Arguments for socialism

All Campaigns subcategories:

Anti-capitalism

Anti-fascist

Anti-racism

Anti-war

Asylum

Black and Asian

Children

CNWP

Corporate crime

Disability

Education

Election campaigns

Environment

Finance

Food

Gender Recognition Act

Health and safety

Health and welfare

Housing

Human Rights

LGBT Pride

Local government

Local services

Low pay

Migration

Nationalisation

New workers party

NHS

Pensions

Post Office

Poverty

Privatisation

* Public Services

Socialism

Socialist

Sport

Stop the slaughter of Tamils

Students

The state

Transport

TUSC

Welfare rights

Women

Workplace and TU campaigns

Youth

Public Services keywords:

Anti-austerity (263)

Anti-cuts (278)

Data loss (1)

Defend public services (22)

HMRC (68)

Public sector (450)

Public sector trade unions (6)

Public services (236)

Public-sector (109)

HMRC

Highlight keywords |Print this article

From: The Socialist issue 1035, 27 March 2019: General election now!

Search site for keywords: Ealing - West London - Strike - London - Civil Service - HMRC - PCS

West London civil service workers strike against office closure

PCS members on strike, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

PCS civil servants' union members at the HMRC Ealing Office (International House) in west London had a successful half-day strike on 19 March. Almost all staff walked out at 12 noon in protest at the plan to close the office as part of the misnamed 'Building our Future' programme.

One PCS rep told the Socialist: "It should be called destroying our futures! Many staff in International House have already been redeployed to Ealing after an earlier office closure. They have to commute to get to Ealing, an onward journey to the new office in Stratford will be well outside reasonable daily travel. There is also a significant proportion of staff with disabilities and caring responsibilities - making it impossible for them to travel to Stratford. Ealing is already the last stop for our members. If this office closes our members will be out of a job".

The strike ballot was won with 84% voting in favour of strike action and 95% voting in favour of action short of a strike.

The cuts in HMRC have been relentless. Tens of thousands of years of tax experience has been lost as a direct result of office closure plans. The 'Building Our Future' proposals will see 90% of HMRC offices closed and replaced by fewer than 20 'regional centres and specialist sites'.

As part of these proposals the International House in Ealing could close as early as 2020, putting many of the staff at risk of redundancy. The Ealing campaign needs to be part of a campaign of protests and industrial action across HMRC to stop the office closure programme, defend members' jobs and the service they provide.

Further strike action is planned for 3 April and 10-12 April
Send messages of support and donations to [email protected]

Donate to the Socialist Party

Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.