Civil servants' strike will halt public services

From the archive, first published Friday 27th Apr 2007.

STRIKING Government staff will bring many public services to a halt during a one-day stoppage over job and pay cuts.

Residents are being told not to expect any tax or benefit offices, job centres, courts, or driving test centres to be open on Tuesday, May 1.

All areas of the Civil Service are expected to go unstaffed as the sixth largest trade union in the UK prepares for a national one-day strike.

More than 4,000 workers who belong to the Public and Commercial Services Union in south Essex will join the protest over job cuts, a dispute over pay and privatisation of services.

Kerry Fairless, the Eastern Regional chairman of the PCS Union, which covers Essex, said: "There has already been a loss of 344 jobs in Revenue and Customs offices in Southend and Basildon.

"The Government wants to close further tax offices and job centres, in this part of the county, cutting jobs by a further 100,000, and our concern is the public will no longer be getting the service they need.

"If the Government gets its way the average pensioner in Basildon wanting to make a face-to-face inquiry could have to go as far as Southend or will be told to call a contact centre.

"There won't be any staff to deal with tax returns. There are a lot brought in on the first of the month, so there'll be quite a backlog."

The Driving Standards Agency is all test candidates booked to take a test on Tuesday, May 1, to turn up as not all examiners are members of the union. Theory tests are not affected and will be taking place as planned.

Offices due to be closed:

* Basildon Crown Court

* Southend Crown and County Courts

* Grays Driving Test Centre

* Southend Driving Test Centre

* Revenue and Customs, in Alexander House, Victoria Road, Southend (1,000 staff on strike)

* Revenue and Customs, Shoebury (100)

* Inland Revenue (300) and Dep Work and Pensions (500), Dencora Court, Southend

* Department of Work and Pensions (1,000), Great Oaks, Basildon

* Inland Revenue (100) Kelping House, Southernhay, Basildon

* Customs and Excise, Regents House, The Gore, Basildon

* Job Centre, Basildon

* Port at Tilbury (400/200)

* Crown House, Grays (40)