THOUSANDS of civil servants across York and North Yorkshire took part in a one-day strike, disrupting everything from Job Centres and barracks to courts and forests.

Picket lines were mounted outside several buildings in York yesterday, including Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road, the Revenue and Customs centre in Piccadilly, Job Centre Plus buildings in Stonebow and Monkgate, Defra offices in Kings Pool and York Magistrates Court.

The walk-out involved about 2,500 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in York and North Yorkshire.

Tanya Walker, PCS regional convenor, said it affected 25 Government departments and agencies on more than 200 sites across York and North Yorkshire, including the Forestry Commission, the National Railway Museum, Crown Prosecution Service, Land Registry, Revenue and Customs, British Library at Boston Spa, Defra, Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Defence.

The strike had an immediate impact on people wanting to contact Job Centre staff with queries over matters such as Job Seekers' Allowance, Incapacity Allowance and state pensions. Tanya said the centres were operating with a skeleton staff, and the vast majority of calls were going unanswered.

Asked about the inconvenience posed to members of the public by such action, she said: "We don't want to take the drastic step of industrial action - we are public servants - but we have no choice. The problem is that because of Government cuts, the public are not getting the service they deserve and because of further cuts, we are getting to crisis point."

"Local services in North Yorkshire are facing decimation. Lengthy waiting times for benefit claims and tax inquiries are prevalent, thousands of phone calls are unanswered and hundreds of jobs have already been lost."

On the Defra picket line at Kings Pool, Peasholme Green, PCS spokesman Les Pearson said delivery men, including Royal Mail postmen, had refused to cross it.

At the picket line outside Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road, spokesman Ian Craven said the strike would not impact on front-line soldiers, but claimed constant Government cutbacks and changes were affecting civil servants' ability to support the troops.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said there was "absolutely no need" for the strike, saying civil servants were highly valued and did a "great job" for the public.

But he added: "No organisation, including the civil service, can be immune from the need for change, both to ensure value for money for the public and to adapt to new technology." He said unions could go through "an established process" to raise concerns without going on strike, and departments would do what they could to minimise the effect on important services.

Customs staff among pickets

THE strike by 190 Revenue and Customs staff in York and North Yorkshire coincided with the final day for people to submit their tax returns.

"It is usually the busiest day of the year in the tax office, but today most staff stayed at home and the office will be eerily quiet," said a PCS spokeswoman.

She said people were still able to hand their tax returns in despite the strike.

One of the strikers on the picket line outside the Revenue and Customs building in Piccadilly - formerly the Inland Revenue - said: "It seems odd not to be at work today. We pride ourselves in the public service that we provide. But we're frightened that our office will close, we'll be out of a job and then people in York, Harrogate, Ripon, Scarborough and Bridlington will be unable to get free advice about tax or tax credits.

"What's happening in the Revenue is wrong. Our union is taking a stand and so sadly we can't be there for the public today."