Union members will demonstrate in Perth to highlight what they claim is the “dismantling of essential public services.”
Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are staging Tuesday’s protest in response to a reduction in HM Revenue and Customs’ services in Scotland.
The demonstrators will be outside the Dewars Conference Centre, Glover Street, to raise awareness of the impact that the reduction of face-to-face inquiry centres will have on the public in and around Perth.
Their presence coincides with HMRC’s own business advice day at the same venue.
The inquiry centre is open during normal office hours on Monday to Friday but HMRC is proposing to reduce this to 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
It means that anyone requiring a face-to-face service outside of these times will need to travel to Dundee.
PCS representative Hamish Drummond said, “These centres provide a service to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
“There have been instances where tax credits claimants have used the last of their money to get to the centre for an emergency payment.”
He added, “Now they could arrive to find the doors closed.
“It is appalling that the coalition government is so focused on dismantling essential public services.”