Strike action at the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

The one example of strike action in opposition to the new PM system was by the Association of Revenue and Customs, a division of the FDA, the union of senior civil servants. Members went on strike at HMRC in February 2014 over the use of forced ranking, on a ballot turnout of 48%, with nearly 60% in favour of strike action and 78% in favour of action short of strike, such as work to rule. Members were striking, said the union, “for a fair performance system, one which allows them to do their job free from the tangle of bureaucracy.” The strike followed the release of figures showing that staff were leaving HMRC in their highest numbers for four years.