Hundreds of Border Force staff at Heathrow are set to strike over changes to their shift patterns, potentially causing significant travel disruption for thousands of passengers.
The workers at the UK’s busiest airport will begin their strike on Saturday, August 31, continuing through to Tuesday, September 3, as announced by their union, PCS. Additionally, they will refuse to work overtime until September 22.
The dispute involves 650 PCS members who work in passport control across terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5 at Heathrow. The conflict arose after a new roster was implemented in April.
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote commented:
“Our dedicated members at Heathrow take great pride in ensuring the safety of our country’s borders, but many are being driven out of the jobs they love. They are being forced by management to choose between their caring responsibilities and their careers, which is an unfair ultimatum. The only reason for this dilemma is the imposition by their managers.
We recognize that our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption for travellers at the end of the summer, but it can be avoided if the employer addresses the concerns of our members.”
