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PSC suspend industrial action following employment dispute victory

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HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) cleaners have called off industrial action after their hours were reinstated by the tax authority.

Union representatives announced that they will be suspending industrial action after the subcontractor, ISS, agreed to reinstate hours it had cut from their shifts.

In April, ISS told staff that it could not afford the mandatory rise, which would increase worker’s hourly rate by 50p.

It is thought that the National Living Wage (NLW) had strained the contractor’s budget, dropping hours as a way to counter the salary hike.

The cut left female cleaners below the 30-hour-a-week threshold that entitles them to working tax credits, leaving some £40 – £50 a week worse off as a result.

Following the actions of ISS, members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union staged an initial walkout in July, with further strike action planned for September.

However, ISS has now agreed to terms laid out by the union, which state that its members’ hours must be reinstated, and proposals to reduce hours in other HMRC sites are to be suspended immediately.

The PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: “We welcome the restoration of cleaners’ hours, although this would never have been achieved without our members taking action.

“We hope the company is genuinely committed to meaningful talks on this and other issues. And we hope HMRC and other government departments have got the message that we will not allow them to simply pass the buck when low-paid staff are being treated unfairly in their workplaces.”

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