Border Force staff are set to bring more chaos to Britain’s busiest airports today as they begin their latest bout of strikes.
About 1,000 members of the PCS Union have downed tools at Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester airports in a bitter row over pay and pensions.
Union chiefs have warned the walkouts could continue for months, stretching into May, when King Charles is coronated.
Today’s action will come as a fresh blow to holidaymakers returning to the UK after the Christmas break, with many now expected to face mayhem at major travel hubs.
Passengers travelling to some of the UK’s biggest airports face another day of chaos as Border Force staff go on strike. Pictured is a stock image
Last week, the military was mobilised to man border control points at airports – and were praised for their speed and efficiency, with British astronaut Tim Peake among those championing the troops’ work.
Today’s strike is the latest in a torrent of industrial action taking place across Britain that is set to cause chaos over the next week.
Rail disruption will is set to continue today and on Thursday, with TSSA union members at Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains walking out.
It follows strike action on Boxing Day. TSSA union members at Great Western Railway will walk out from noon to 11.59am on Thursday, and at West Midlands Trains for 24 hours from noon until the same time on Thursday.
West Midlands Trains said that none of its services would be running from Wednesday morning as a result of the TSSA strike.
Meanwhile, driving examiners have launched their own five-day strike as part of escalating industrial action by civil servants demanding better pay.
The protest involves PCS members in 71 test centres in eastern England and the Midlands who are employed by the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) as driving examiners and local driving test managers.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said of the examiners’ strike: ‘Our members have been offered a pay rise of just two per cent at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10 per cent
‘We know our action will cause widespread disruption and inconvenience to people in eastern England and the Midlands – hundreds of driving tests have been cancelled already in other parts of the country – but the Government is to blame.
Members of the PCS union on the picket line near Heathrow airport in the strikes before Christmas
Gun show: This soldier flexes for the camera as military personnel were called to Heathrow Airport on Friday, December 23, to cover for striking workers
The Home Office brought in personnel from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to cover last week’s strikes
‘These strikes could be called off tomorrow if Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt put some money on the table.’
Unions are looking at ways to stage further strikes by splitting ballots by job titles rather than holding a single vote, according to reports.
It comes after a day of travel chaos despite a rail strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union (RMT) coming to an end, with crowds of people left waiting at major train stations across London and many journeys delayed due to the late handover of engineering works.
Rail passengers have already been told to avoid travel for two weeks as the industry buckles under strike mayhem.
Network Rail issued the warning amid a series of long-running disputes over pay and working conditions.
Commuters returning to work in the New Year will face days of mayhem, with rail strike action taking place throughout the first week of the January.
Vast swathes of the country’s railway network are predicted to come to a standstill, with RMT members walking on over pay and working conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 4.
They will go on strike again on January 6 and 7. And on Thursday, January 5 train drivers in the Aslef union will stage their own walk out.
Only one-in-five trains will be running during the strikes, warned the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) while ‘half of the network will shut down’.
‘There are likely to be even fewer services on January 5 due to a strike by drivers who belong to [the union] Aslef,’ the RDG added.
Armed Forces at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2 on the first day of the Border Force strike
The Armed Forces stepped in to cover the strikes at Heathrow Airport on Friday
Fresh reports suggest that rail union and industry bosses are ‘nearly there’ in their efforts to agree a pay deal, raising hopes the latest walkouts could be averted.
Sources told the Daily Mail that RMT union boss Mick Lynch has softened his stance and has been ‘the most deal-minded’ they have ever found him in recent meetings.
Negotiators are understood to be looking at using language ‘creatively’, particularly around reforming the industry, so both sides can better sell a deal.
Meanwhile, the i newspaper reported that the TSSA is poised to let different sections of its membership vote at different times in order to carry out multiple walkouts per week.
A spokesperson told the paper: ‘Rather than balloting everybody in one single ballot, our intention is to split the ballot so that we can ballot station staff separately to controllers, for example, which would give us greater flexibility in when we can call people out for strike action.’
A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘After two years of virtual Christmases, the British public deserve better than to have their festive celebrations impacted by strikes.
‘The Transport Secretary and rail minister have worked hard to facilitate a fair and reasonable offer, which two unions have accepted, and it is incredibly disappointing that some continue to strike.
‘We urge them to step back, reconsider and get back round the table, so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.’
