BY MICHAEL BRESLIN

The campaign by the Public and Commercial Service Union which represents staff employed within Customs and Inland Revenue, to save from the axe 474 jobs across rural Northern Ireland, including 44 in Enniskillen in a future review, has secured the backing of the North's 108 Assembly members.

Some 1,600 staff based in Belfast are currently undergoing a review, although it is thought none of those jobs are at risk. In fact, that number may be increased.

But, it is a different story outside of Greater Belfast, not least in towns like Enniskillen where 74 staff are located in two buildings, on the Killyhevlin Industrial Estate and at Abbey House, Queen Street.

The Union's concern is not so much about rationalisation of the estate (buildings) but, more that staff won't be forced to relocate to faraway centres, making it uneconomic for them to commute. For that reason, the PCS fight is centred on the requirements of the equality impact assessment process contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

This week, Barney Lawn, who is the branch secretary of the Customs' Branch for all of Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and chairs the WSNI regional committee, accused employers of ignoring the feedback from MLAs, Councillors and members by issuing revised staffing cuts.

"As of February this year, there were 74 staff in Enniskillen, based at the Killyhevlin and at Abbey House, Queen Street. The figure for Enniskillen has been reduced by a further 10, which means that by 2011, when the decision kicks in, they intend taking 30 jobs out of Enniskillen.

"My union, the PCS are not opposed to a pragmatic approach where buildings are concerned where there are two buildings in any one town. In fact, we support a good standard of accommodation, as is already happening in Derry.

"However, even if staff here were given an opportunity to relocate, it would have to be feasible.

You're talking about working mothers and those with caring responsibilities having to embark on travelling an unreasonable daily distance, and the potential for redundancy if the Department decides not to recognise its obligation under Section 75 of the GFA that has to do with equality impact assessment".

Mr Lawn, a native of Lisnarick, submitted there was no need for the Treasury to be thinking along those lines at all, that there was sufficient workload for both sites, at Killyhevlin where staff deal with non-specific type work for the whole of the UK as well as VAT and at Abbey House where there is more face-to-face type work.

"Abbey House staff, I would have to suggest, have seen their workload increased with the recent influx of ethnic minorities and where dependency on advice has also increased. So, we're hosting a Parliamentary reception in Westminster on 26th March at which we will be looking to having all of the MLAs here attend".

One other VIP who is expected to be there is former NI Minister, Jayne Kennedy who is now the UK Treasury Minister.

"We will be looking to the MLAs to put pressure on her, given that the Assembly have voted for decentralisation", Mr Lawn added. "My union has already made representations to the Equality Commission and, on the back of that, the Minister's Department has decided to treat the rest of Northern Ireland, outside the Belfast Urban Review as one equality impact assessment.

"My union's concern is that the majority of the proposed 474 job cuts across Northern Ireland will be in places external to Belfast, and our main worry arising from that is this will go against the Department's commitment to meaningful equality impact assessment".

Already, Derry Assembly member, Gregory Campbell has moved to start the fight against possible cuts in the Maiden City, and in Coleraine where 80 staff are employed in two offices.

If Coleraine closed, he submitted, it would mean a two-hour travel for staff offered posts in Belfast (a lot of cuts have already been achieved through voluntary redundancy/retirement) and, given the three-year assisted plan offered by the employers, this would amount to £1.5m.

"If they (the employers) are intending to move along this route, there will be significantly adverse financial and social consequences", he stated.

A spokesman for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, in a response, said it was too premature to be talking about job losses.