Heathrow Border Force to stage three-day strike

The dispute is over changes to roles and shifts

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport will stage a three-day strike from Friday in a dispute over rosters.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said more than 500 of its members working on passport control at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 were taking action.

The union said more than 250 staff faced losing their jobs or being moved to other work against their will. Those who remain will have longer shifts, inflexible shift-swapping rules, no clarity on booking leave and no way to work around caring responsibilities, the PCS said.

A Home Office spokesperson said officers had been given the choice of moving to the new roster, being redeployed or leaving.

'Misery to members'

A petition has been launched in support of the workers.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “We call on all trade unionists and the public to support this petition and tell Border Force management to scrap this unwelcome and unworkable roster that has already caused misery to our members.

“PCS has repeatedly called for more flexibility in the new roster but management has refused to listen.

“Until they do, and they put forward proposals to improve the roster, then the dispute will continue.”

A sign on the picket line at Heathrow Airport at the end of April

The three-day strike will be followed by three weeks of industrial action short of a strike, including a ban on overtime.

The Border Force staff staged a four-day walkout from the end of April in the same dispute.

The union said it expected disruption over the weekend as families returned to the UK at the end of the half-term holiday.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Border Force gave officers the option to move to the new roster, take part in a voluntary exit scheme or redeploy to other parts of the organisation.

“The vast majority of officers have now made their choice and we are supporting a very small number of individuals to find alternative roles in the organisation”.