Passengers warned of delays due to Border Force staff strike at airport; Postal Workers Walk Out – Business Live | Business | Daily News Byte

Full story: Border Force workers join strike as postal workers walk out again

Gwynn Topham

Heathrow, the largest of six airports where Border Force staff are on strike, has said it expects no flights to be canceled ahead of industrial action, with most journeys unaffected.

About 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will continue the strike for the rest of 2022, except for December 27.

Just under 9,000 flights are now scheduled to land at the six affected airports – Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester – during the strike, carrying 1.8 million passengers, according to data from aviation analytics firm Sirium. Officers will also strike at Newhaven, a port in East Sussex.

The airport is confident that emergency staff and e-gates, which will remain unaffected, will process most passengers efficiently during the strike. The number of passengers traveling through the airport is still only 85% of pre-pandemic levels.

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Flights are operating normally at Gatwick says this morning Adam JonesThe head of passenger operations at the airport as the Border Force strike begins.

He told Sky News that everything was working smoothly at the border this morning, with emergency staff. He is confident that the airport will function normally, with flights arriving and departing on time.

Jones says:

We expect passport checks to take a little longer, and we expect some disruption, but flights are operating as normal – arrivals and departures – and we expect that to continue.

Passport control booths at Gatwick are being staffed by Border Force staff who are not taking part in the strike, Jones added, along with members of the armed forces and volunteers from across the Home Office who have been trained to run border controls.

At peak times, there could be a two-hour delay at the border, Jones predicts—even egates are available.

To use eGate, you need a biometric symbol on your passport, be at least 12 years old, be either a British citizen or a citizen of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA, or be a member of a registered tourist service.

Jones Adds that he sees no risk of closing Gatwick – but if Qing becomes overcrowded, the airport will control the amount of traffic coming through.

good morning

Thousands of air passengers face potential disruption in the coming days as Border Force staff join the ranks of striking workers in the UK.

And with postal workers and national highways workers also taking industrial action, and overtime restrictions on the railways, people face disruptions and delays in the Christmas rush.

Passengers arriving at several UK airports are being warned to expect delays in strike action, including border control staff checking passports.

These measures will affect London Airports Heathrow And Gatwickplus Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester And Glasgow and port Newhaven on the south coast.

They will be held from today to 26th December and again from 28th to 31st December.

A Border Force strike is being planned by Union of Public and Commercial ServicesIt is demanding a 10% pay rise, “pension justice”, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms.

PCS General Secretary sign Sarvotka Earlier this month urged the government to put “money on the table” to stop the strike, saying:

“Like many workers, our members are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. They are desperate. They are told they don’t have the money, while they see ministers awarding government contracts worth billions of pounds to their cronies.

“Some sections of the media have accused us of playing politics with this strike. Let me be clear: our dispute is with the employer.

“Regardless of who is in Downing Street we will fight to improve the pay, terms and conditions of our members.”

The UK government has made preparations to limit the impact of the walkouts, including training military personnel to “enter and secure our borders”.

But, it also says that travelers arriving in the UK over the Christmas period should expect delays and disruption. This can include long waiting times at passport control and possible travel disruptions.

The eGates should still be operational, so passengers with compatible passports should use them.

Steve Dane, Border Force The chief operating officer, apologizing for any disruption, added:

The Border Force’s number one priority is to keep our citizens safe and secure the borders. We are working with partners across the travel industry to ensure we can continue to meet critical demand and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border.

During periods of industrial action, commuters should be prepared for disruption.

We encourage everyone to check the latest advice from your operators before travelling.

Thousands of Royal Mail staff are starting a two-day strike today. Communications workers involve union members who collect, sort and deliver parcels and letters.

Royal Mail says its customer service points will be closed to collect or drop off items on the days of the strike (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 December). The company also said it would do everything possible to ensure the delivery of last-minute Christmas cards and parcels.

The National Highways workers started the strike action yesterday Which will last until Christmas Day, as millions begin their Christmas getaways by road.

Members of the Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS), including control-centre staff and traffic officers, are on strike in London and the south-east. It follows a two-day stoppage by members of the PCS in the North-West and Yorkshire on 16 and 17 December.

Four days of industrial action by 46 members will take place at three depots across the region in Godstone, Guildford and Winchester, the union said.