| HMRC has yet to announce how the axe will fall, but it is known to be seeking a reduction in staffing by 15% this year and a further 15% in 2011. That adds up to an overall reduction of around 28%.
Dundee is presently has 750 Revenue and Customs jobs at the Caledonian House inquiry centre and Sidlaw House call centre.
A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services union said it was likely HMRC would seek to reduce its workforce fairly evenly across the country and significant job losses in Dundee were a “real possibility”.
“It is likely to be a drastic reduction in staffing numbers and Dundee, which is one of the bigger centres for HMRC jobs, could see a lot of jobs lost,” he said.
“We should hear within the next few months what mechanism HMRC will use to achieve its cuts. Talks are ongoing at a national level now between union leaders and management.”
The union said HMRC could be expected to lose as many jobs as possible through natural wastage but there was still likely to be a significant number of redundancies.
PCS branch chairman Alan Kidd said the closure of the Perth office and the threats of job cuts in Dundee had caused “massive unrest” within the local workforce.
He said, “The Government has thrown money at collapsing banks with abandon and is now closing Perth office and others across Scotland to pay for it.
“PCS members, with support from across the Public Sector, do not accept this and we will fight tooth and nail to defend public service in Perth, in Scotland and across the UK.” |
