More than 600 Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport are set to take four days of strike action in a dispute over shifts, the PCS union announced.
The strike is set to begin on April 11 and end four days later on April 14.
The officers, who carry out immigration controls and passport checks on behalf of Britain’s Home Office, voted to take strike action last week over new changes to shift patterns.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: ‘Ministers have fourteen days to withdraw these unfair and unnecessary proposals or our members at Heathrow will take strike action.
‘Consultation with staff has been a farce, with our members having little or no choice about the new arrangements.
More than 600 Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport are set to take four days of strike action
‘Ripping up flexible working arrangements is no way to treat staff especially, as the government says, their work is critical to our nation’s security. Some members are heart-broken that the Border Force has become ”unprofessional and inhumane”.
‘If the government is serious about border security, it should look at Border Force officers’ job security, look after its staff, scrap the changes and work with us to protect jobs and working conditions.’
A spokesperson for PCS said union members at Heathrow airport voted by 90 per cent to strike over a new roster and shift patterns changes.
The PCS said its members are angry at planned alterations to their shifts that would have a detrimental effect on them and leave nearly 250 without a job on passport control.
If they refuse to accept the new contracts, they would be forced to seek jobs elsewhere in the Home Office, said the PCS.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.