Heathrow faces disruption from new Border Force strike

Passengers travelling through London Heathrow could face disruption in the next few weeks after a union representing Border Force staff announced a new round of industrial action.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents around 650 immigration staff at the UK hub airport, has been in dispute with Border Force over changes to rosters. It has already held seven days of strikes over the issue at Heathrow earlier this year.

PCS said that its members working at passport control at Heathrow’s Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 would go on strike from 31 August to 3 September. This will be followed by a “work-to-rule” regime and overtime ban by Border Force staff until 22 September.

Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the PCS, said: “We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.”

The Border Force agency comes under the remit of the UK government’s Home Office.

“We appreciate the tireless work that Border Force do to keep our borders safe and secure, and we are committed to continuing our conversations with the union so we can find an agreement that works for both the public and staff,” said a Home Office spokesperson.

“We will have robust plans in place to minimise disruption where possible, but we urge passengers to check the latest advice from operators before they travel.”

Heathrow said it had worked closely with Border Force during previous PCS strikes to “support their contingencies, which have seen passengers continue to travel smoothly”.