Last updated at 12:34, Friday, 15 March 2013

Workers at the HMRC offices and the Rural Payments Agency in Workington will go out on strike on Wednesday.

Staff at the agency at Derwent Howe and the HMRC tax offices at Lillyhall will form picket lines as part of the Public Commercial Services Union’s Back the Budget Day Strike campaign.

The union reballoted for pay, jobs, pensions and terms and conditions in February. It wants to see a pay increase of five per cent and flexible hours for workers.

Beth Wagg, PCS branch officer for the Rural Payments Agency, said: “The Government is dragging our terms and conditions down, which we feel they are doing to make it easier to sack people.

“We have had a pay freeze for two years and there has been a cap of one per cent on pay rises. It has become a big squeeze on the people who work in our office.”

It is not known how many workers will strike.

First published at 12:19, Friday, 15 March 2013
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk