Civil servants vs the Government

A colleague has just very kindly informed me that I have an unexpected day off next Wednesday, courtesy of my fellow union members. Indeed, the result of our strike ballot was pretty conclusive, with 61% voting for strike action, and 78% voting for action short of a strike. The date of the strike? 31 January, yes, you guessed it, deadline day for self assessment Tax Returns (you've seen the adverts, haven't you?)!

I used to be a Customer Service Manager in my Maida Vale days, and believe me, the queue of taxpayers attempting to file at the last minute was a sight to see. So the prospect of a skeleton staff and a picket line on the busiest day of the year does raise an ironic smile. If you were planning to drop in at your local tax office next Wednesday though, you might think about doing so a day earlier...

Naturally, I am a member of PCS (Public & Commercial Services Union), as one should join up in support of the right to bargain collectively, although I tend to be a more critical member than most. That said, my ballot paper was lost in the sea of paper that I call my living room, so I didn't cast my usual 'no' vote. However, it's only a democracy if you accept that you are bound by a collective decision, so I'll not be crossing the picket line and spend the day catching up with my paperwork instead (quite useful, really).

It has come to a pretty pass when civil service unions are striking against a Labour government...

Day 4 of diet - current weight loss: 1.4kg (hoorah...) - net change in Body Mass Index (BMI): -0.46...