THOUSANDS of civil servants across south Essex took part in a nationwide strike, protesting against privatisation and job cuts.

The strike was organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents civil servants including staff at prisons, courts, tax offices and driving test centres.

Basildon and Southend Crown Courts were affected, as were driving test centres in Grays and Southend, Revenue and Customs in Southend and the Department of Work and Pensions in Basildon.

In Southend, it has been announced there will be around 340 job losses in Revenue and Customs, based mainly in Alexander House and Portcullis House, in Victoria Avenue, Southend.

Fiona Staff, the union's branch secretary at HM Revenue and Customs in Southend, said: "Southend is a High Street economy and without the workers who use the shops and services, businesses will relocate to avoid the inevitable losses that would result if the proposals go ahead.

"Southend also has a high unemployment rate and can ill afford to lose the job opportunities currently given by civil service departments.

"In some cases, three generations of one family are employed by the Government and the town will definitely struggle to employ these people elsewhere, particularly if other businesses relocate."

Prison officers at Bullwood Hall prison, in Hockley, were also among those taking part in the strike.

Local union member Roland Lazarus said although there was no suggestion the prison would be privatised, members were concerned this may happen in the future.

He said: "At the moment, we are not aware of any specific threats, but instructional officers in other prisons have been transferred to private prisons in quite large numbers."