Union fears for future of Lisburn tax office

Andy Magee was speaking this week as the union were planning nationwide strike action for Wednesday March 24 - Budget Day.

Local members also staged a picket at the tax office in Lisburn on Saturday morning against an overtime ban.

Up to 270,000 civil and public servants across the UK have launched a month of industrial action over a dispute over changes to redundancy terms.

Mr Magee said the union believes the changes to redundancy terms would deprive staff of up to a third of their entitlements and see civil and public servants lose tens of thousands of pounds if they are forced out of a job.

He said the fact changes were being planned was a clear indication redundancies were 'inevitable'. He claimed this placed yet another threat to Lisburn tax office.

"Lisburn tax office has already been threatened with closure - first in the 1990's and then again 18 months ago," said Mr Magee. "Thanks to a campaign with backing from the public and support form Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, it remained open.

"We always believed that if there was a reduction to terms and conditions relating to redundancy then redundancies would be on the way. Lisburn tax office has been threatened before and it could be threatened again."

He said that if the tax office did close local people would be forced to deal with offices in Craigavon or Belfast, use the internet or phone.

The month long strikes by the union are expected to affect Jobcentre staff, passport offices, tax workers, coastguards, border agency officials, courts staff and driving test examiners.