Staff at a tax office staged a walk out after being told they will lose their jobs by the end of next year.
A total of 37 staff members at the Merthyr Tydfil office, on Castle Street, were told today that they will be made redundant by the end of 2015.
The walkout came as HM Revenue and Customs confirmed it will be closing a total of 14 offices across the UK, including centres in Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay and Pembroke Dock.
A total of 450 jobs are under threat across the UK.
The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents the workers, said the closures are senseless.
General secretary Mark Serwotka added: “It makes absolutely no economic sense to continue cutting in the department that collects the taxes that fund the public services we all rely on.
“This political and economic vandalism is even more stark and outrageous when, even by the department’s own modest estimate, tens of billions of pounds is lost to our public finances every year, largely through tax evasion and avoidance.”
HMRC first put the proposals forward last year as it looks to operate from just 14 large sites in the UK by 2025.
At the time the Welsh Assembly called on HMRC to reverse the decision saying: “(The Assembly) believes these decisions threaten to deprive Wales of valuable jobs and public services and calls on HMRC to reconsider its plans.”
A letter from HMRC director Dorothy Brown in November 2013 said: “Since the 2010 spending review, we have been clear that HMRC will become a smaller, more highly-skilled organisation that remains committed to improving customer service, and increasing the additional revenues we bring in.
“Some of these staff reductions will be achieved through natural wastage, but we know this alone will not deliver all the reductions we need.
“In 14 of these locations, we are unlikely to retain a presence in the longer term and all eligible staff will be invited to apply.”
