Wick tax office closure delayed for two years
STAFF at Wick’s tax office will have work until 2014 it was announced today.
A successful campaign has delayed next year’s scheduled closure of the office and employees and the Public and Commercial Services union are now to fight to have the threat withdrawn permanently.
The union-led Wick Wants Work campaign, launched seven months, has won support from members of the public, politicians from all parties and other trade unions, notably the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
As a result, HM Revenue and Customs senior management has announced the office, which employs just 20 staff but covers a geographical area the size of Belgium, will stay open until 2014.
The town offers no other redeployment opportunities and the union has pledged to continue to fight to keep the office open permanently.
Like others across the UK, tax compliance staff in Wick work to help tackle the estimated £120 billion in taxes that are evaded, avoided or uncollected every year.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This has been a model campaign from the start, uniting unions, politicians and the community around the positive message that what our economy needs is more work, not less.
"While we will continue to fight to ensure the threat of closure is withdrawn completely, we pay tribute to everyone involved in establishing the important principle that united communities can make a difference."
