Sinn Féin MPs take Newry, Derry and Enniskillen jobs fight to London

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

Staff union reps are firmly of the view that all options to avoid redundancies have not been examined

SINN FÉIN MPs Conor Murphy (pictured) and Michelle Gildernew will meet British Treasury Secretary David Gauke in London on Wednesday in opposition to jobs cuts at Revenue & Customs (HMRC) offices across the North.

HMRC has plans to close its Newry office by 2015, with the loss of 134 jobs, and to remove a substantial number of jobs from offices in Derry and Enniskillen, effectively making them unsustainable in the future, Conor Murphy said.

“Since this proposal was first raised with staff in the Newry, Enniskillen and Derry HMRC offices we have been doing everything in our power to ensure that these cuts do not come into effect.

“Both myself and my Sinn Féin colleagues Mickey Brady MLA, Megan Fearon MLA and Councillor Charlie Casey have met with the staff and union reps on a number of occasions and we also hosted them in the Assembly during a debate on this issue.

“We believe that a united approach is essential to any successful outcome and for that reason we suggested a joint meeting with MP David Gauke.

“The HMRC staff union reps are firmly of the view that this is a clear shift away from normal protocols and processes, and that all options to avoid redundancies have not been examined.”

The SDLP’s Margaret Ritchie and Mark Durkan will join the Sinn Féin MPs in London.