In an impassioned debate during the PCS Inland Revenue annual conference at Scarborough, many delegates expressed severe anger at the problems being encountered by Inland Revenue staff in a number of Inland Revenue Enquiry Centres. These have included high levels of stress due to the pressures of facing thousands of NTC emergency repayment claimants in cramped conditions, with limited or non-existent public facilities.

Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary who addressed the conference “reminded the Revenue of its duty of care to its staff” and said that the union would defend its members who were working in extremely difficult conditions. He called for the government to hold the Board to account for the chaos over Tax Credits, and the recent exposure of “selling off offices to a private company in a Tax Haven.”

“The difficulties have been compounded by the persistent failure of the Inland Revenue Computer System,” said National Officer Ian Lawrence, adding that: “members believed that it was yet another example of failure by privateers EDS” who run the Revenues IT and who were responsible for processing 4 million initial NTC applications.

The conference also heard how “inept planning by Treasury forecasters” had severely underestimated the volume of telephone calls and personal callers, with Revenue staff paying out 100, 000 Giros instead of the expected 40, 000 and fielded tens of millions of phone calls through their Contact Centres, as mainstream tax work such as PAYE has had to be dropped. Mr Lawrence also said that the union would be providing evidence to the recently announced National Audit Office Investigation into NTC.

The debate also included a call for the resignation of those deemed responsible for the chaos, as news of a “fobbing off” hotline involving the Revenue and MM group emerged. Delegates heard reports alleging that temporary staff had been recruited to deceive NTC claimants using a specially prepared script.




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Notes to editors

1. PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has 290, 000 members in 173 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

2. PCS represents over 50, 000 staff working for the Inland Revenue.

3. For further information please contact PCS press officer Alex Flynn on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978 216.