Senior HMRC staff concerned about restructure plans and relocations, says FDA - 16 November 2006

The FDA, the union representing senior public servants, including the majority of senior staff in HM Revenue and Customs, expressed its concern today over HMRC's plans for further restructuring and job losses, and the shedding of a significant proportion of the department's buildings across the country over the next four years.

With the department already coping with significant change, HMRC senior staff are concerned about 'change overload' and want to avoid disruption to delivery.

Details of the next phase of the HMRC's Workforce Change programme, announced today, reveal that HMRC plans to significantly cut the number of buildings across the country over the next four years in a bid to streamline its operations and reduce costs by over £100 million. It also suggests that it will double the number of job cuts: a further 12,500 jobs could be cut in the period from 2008-2011 on top of 12,500 reductions already in progress.

Paul Whiteman, FDA senior officer leading on HMRC, said:

"These proposals have come at a time when the department is already having to cope with previous restructuring, current staff reductions of 12,500 and significant changes to internal processes. The FDA will want assurances that the department is not rushing headlong into change overload. Senior staff at HMRC are concerned that such pressure on the fabric of the organisation will make it difficult to maintain delivery.

"The FDA was also saddened to learn of the new thinking around a second round of job losses of 12,500 without any prior consultation. The union should not learn of this from an announcement on the departmental intranet. We have always worked positively and constructively with the department in the past. This will be a real issue for HMRC's own managers who will be charged with leading these changes.

"We acknowledge that as the department reduces in size, meaningful savings from the estate can be made. However, today's announcements will leave all staff worried for their futures and fearful of the demands likely to be put upon them. We have sought assurances that the changes will be made without any redundancies or the need to make unreasonable demands on our members and their colleagues."

Of particular concern to the FDA is the fact that the proposals were drawn up without consultation.

"It will be impossible to achieve these goals and maintain delivery without the full co-operation of the workforce. This will only be achieved through genuine consultation with the unions." Notes for editors
1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing 17,000 of the UK's senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.
2. The FDA (formerly First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union".
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