Border force workers resume strikes as 1,000 walk out across Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airport

28 December 2022, 15:02

Border force strikes have caused travel chaos across Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airport after 1,000 workers resumed walkouts on Wednesday.

Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) members working as Border Force officers at some of the UK's biggest airports and the port of Newhaven have begun strikes for four more days.

The walkouts are over pay, jobs and conditions as the cost of living rises.

And union chiefs have warned that they could continue for months, stretching as far as May if no action is taken.

The move comes as a blow to holidaymakers either returning from their festive celebrations abroad of planning to celebrate their New Year's around the world.

Some 1,200 flights are expected to land at the six airports affected, which also include Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Military personnel have been drafted in to deal with the growing number of strikes, with 625 people from the Army, Navy and RAF confirmed to be covering today's industrial action, according to the Ministry of Defence.

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Driving examiners have also launched a five-day strike as part of escalating industrial action by civil servants in a dispute over pay, jobs and pensions.

The walk-out 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 2% at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10%.

"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.

"These strikes could be called off tomorrow if Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt put some money on the table."

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Meanwhile, rail disruption is set to continue into the new year, with members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) at Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains set to go on strike.

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.

The RMT union will also carry out more rail strikes across January 3 and 4 and 6 and 7.

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."

Downing Street said a "fair agreement" to end strike action should not involve double-digit pay rises for workers.

A No10 spokesman claimed such salary increases would "embed inflation", as union representatives and employers were encouraged to hold further talks in a bid to find a resolution.

The spokesman gave no indication as to whether Downing Street believes a deal is close to being reached after the Daily Mail cited a source suggesting rail union and industry bosses are "nearly there".