COURTS, Jobcentres and tax offices across the region were hit by industrial action for the second time within a month yesterday.

Civil servants chose Budget day to stage their latest strike over government plans to reduce the amount of redundancy money they are entitled to should they lose their jobs in expected public spending cuts.

Earlier this month more than 700 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) across various government departments in Wrexham walked out for 48 hours.

Yesterday, a similar number are thought to have been involved in a one-day stoppage.

Union officials claimed services to the public would be hit, with magistrates and county court cases being delayed, Jobcentre interviews disrupted and the handling of tax matters held up.

Steve Ryan, a national official in the PCS’s Customs and Revenue group, said during the recent 48-hour strike about 90 per cent of the 400 staff at Wrexham tax office joined the action and he expected a similar number were involved yesterday.

“The strike seems to be holding very firm because members think we have a just case,” he said.

“This is not just about terms and conditions. It is quite clear the Government is getting ready to sack a lot of civil servants.

"We are quite worried about the future of this office after 130 other offices across the country have already been closed.

“There is going to be an announcement about other offices soon and we don’t want this one to close because it is one of the biggest employers in Wrexham.

“Civil servants shouldn’t have to lose their jobs when this country has £32 billion in unpaid taxes.”

Reports state that about 70 per cent of the 600 staff at Wrexham Jobcentre had joined the strike, a slightly better turnout than earlier this month and about half of the 44 staff at Wrexham magistrates and county courts took part. Union officials reported a similar number at the Valuation Office Agency in Regent Street, Wrexham, walked out for the day.