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Civil service jobs to go
1:35pm Thursday 12th June 2008
Comments (4)MORE than 40 civil service jobs are set to go in Chippenham after it was announced that HM Revenue and Customs plans to leave the town.
The move is part of an ongoing strategy to reduce costs through a programme of closing offices and reducing staffing.
Similar announcements were being made across the UK including at offices in Frome, Wells, Weston-super-Mare and Swindon.
An eight-week consultation period follows, allowing staff, MPs, local people, councillors and businesses to express their views on the proposals following which HMRC will decide on whether or not to confirm or change its original proposals.
The announcements were met with anger by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
Mark Burton, PCS Bristol Taxes Branch Secretary, said: "Our members are devastated that their loyalty and first class customer service in public duty over many years has been repaid by the threat of job losses or enforced transfers to offices a significant distance away.
"We believe that the public deserve first class public services delivered locally, by local people.
"In addition to providing robust evidence in opposition to these inherently flawed plans we will be embarking on a campaign to retain our local office providing that vital first class service to the public and society and contributing to our local economy and we urge our community, the media, local councillors and MPs to fully support our aims."
Your Say YourWiltshire Times
Jim, Westbury says...
10:42pm Thu 12 Jun 08
"We believe that the public deserve first class public services delivered locally, by local people.
What twaddle! Whenever I've dealt with HMR&C I've had to deal with whichever office my employer deals with which is often hundreds of miles away. It's high time HMR&C realised that many of us work for more than one employer in any given tax year and allowed us to deal with our own local office not that of our employer.
moonrakin_wurzel, Trowbridge says...
3:59am Fri 13 Jun 08
Having been on the receiving end of "first class customer service in public duty over many years" all I can say is good riddance - I sincerely hope they all go self employed and have to deal with their erstwhile colleagues - truly that would be poetic justice in action.
walter, wilshur says...
6:37am Fri 13 Jun 08
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Alex Zivojinovich, Wiltshire says...
3:17pm Thu 12 Jun 08