Revenue ‘justified’ in outsourcing property tax calls

Revenue was justified in extending the original contract to outsource call centre services in support of the local property tax (LPT), despite objections by one of the largest civil service unions, an arbitration board has ruled.

The Civil Public and Services Union claimed the tax authorities had breached an agreement that trade unions would be consulted before the contract could be extended.

However, the Civil Service Arbitration Board (CSAB) found the extension of the original contract in March 2014 for a further two years was both “reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances of the LPT being still in its initial period of establishment”.