The Public and Commercial Services union announced earlier this week that its members working at Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and Cardiff airports will go on strike for eight days from December 23 to New Year’s Eve. The union has already called for strikes at the Department of Work and Pensions, National Highways, and driving examiners. Around 1,000 Border Force employees will go on strike over pay, pensions, and jobs on December 23-26, 28-30, and 31. According to PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka, the strike will have a “significant impact” on the staff who work at passport control. He warned the government against bringing in the military to cover the strikes, claiming that there would not be enough time to properly train them. Mr Serwotka met with government ministers, but they refused to increase a 2% pay increase. They keep saying their door is open, but it’s a peculiar door with nothing behind it.” He warned that unless the deadlock is broken, the PCS would escalate its industrial action in the new year.
