The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 28th September 2018
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 28th September 2018
The Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain
Week commencing 28th September 2018
SOME of Britain’s least admired, but essential, workers are involved in trade union struggles.
Tax inspectors in Stockton-on-Tees are opposing the intended closure of HMRC George Stephenson House, the Teesside tax office.
Shadow Treasury Minister Anneliese Dodds assured members of the biggest civil service union, PCS, that Labour would review HMRC’s Building Our Future programme (which is basically about closing local offices and concentrating services in a few large centres) once in government. At a windswept meeting outside the office she, along with local Labour MP Dr Paul Williams, committed to continuing to campaign against the closure of the Stockton office, arguing that areas such as Teesside can ill-afford to lose both the public services that staff provide and the local jobs.
In this she was echoing Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who at the TUC committed to a fully-resourced HMRC, focused on local jobs and closing the tax gap if Labour wins the next election.
Over 93 per cent of staff surveyed by PCS in Stockton are either unwilling or unable to transfer to the proposed regional centre in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. In particular those with childcare and other family commitments have serious concerns about their futures if HMRC closure plans go ahead.