HMRC workers to vote on strike action as union claims reps were 'victimised' and sacked

More than 200 HMRC workers are to be balloted for strike action in defence of three reps who lost their jobs at the Benton Park View site.

Three elected Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union reps - Gordon Askew, Rachel Farmer and Joel Hamilton - were dismissed earlier in the year and managers have refused to reinstate them. In July, union members protested outside the HMRC offices in Benton, with the union's general secretary telling Chronicle Live at the time that managers at the site have a "track record of targeting reps".

Four months on, and their colleagues are set to vote on whether to take strike action in protest at their treatment.

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Fran Heathcote, PCS General Secretary said that the three reps played a key role in successful strike action in 2023 demanding fair pay, pensions and jobs - and the union believed this is the reason they were sacked. HMRC said it was unable to comment on staff employment matters.

Ms Heathcote accused local management of attacking the branch, and trying to make it harder for the union to organise action in the future. PCS said that another rep, who was sacked, was reinstated after a campaign from the union.

It is hoped that the threat of industrial action will achieve the same result for the three dismissed reps. Ms Heathcote said: "It’s not too late for HMRC managers to avoid strike action and the subsequent disruption to services if they do the decent thing and reinstate our reps."

An HMRC spokesperson said: "We do not comment on staff employment matters."