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Civil servants stage 48-hour walkout over redundancy pay
HUNDREDS of public sector workers in South Yorkshire went out on strike as part of a national civil service walkout over plans to cut redundancy pay.
The 48-hour strike, which is set to continue today, disrupted job and tax centres, courts, ports and other government offices across the country.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union manned picket lines in Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley.
In Sheffield staff left their posts at the job centre on West Street, HM Revenue and Customs at Concept House, Home Office at the Riverside, Department for Education and Skills at Moorfoot and Department for Work and Pensions in Hartshead Square.
Les Priestley, PCS group executive member for HMRC, said: "The main point of contact with Revenue and Customs is through contact centres and we understand there have been very few calls answered."
Nationally around 270,000 civil servants took part.
The PCS claims members could lose a third of their redundancy entitlement over cuts under the civil service compensation scheme.
But the government says other civil service unions have agreed the changes are fair.
Under the new system - which takes effect in April and will save about 500m - those laid off and taking voluntary redundancy will have their pay-offs capped at 60,000. Redundancy is currently calculated on length of service, with a month's pay for every year worked.
The PCS said an employee with 20 years' service earning 24,000 a year could lose 20,000.
Marc Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "The government is tearing up the contracts of low paid civil and public servants whilst it claims it can do nothing about bankers' bonuses because of contractual obligations. Slashing entitlements and cutting jobs on the cheap will damage public services."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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