Border Force officers to go on strike for four days during February half-term
31 January 2023, 23:48 | Updated: 1 February 2023, 00:32
Around 1,000 Border Force officials in major ports, including in France, will go on strike for four days during February half-term, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has announced.
The strikes will take place in Dover, Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk on February 17, 18, 19 and 20 amid a row over jobs, pay and conditions.
It comes as Britain braces itself for a mass walkout by teachers, university workers, civil servants and train drivers tomorrow, in what could be the biggest strike in a decade.
The strike includes 100,000 civil servants in 123 government departments.
Tomorrow's strike about pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security affects those working for the Border Force at airports and ports, those working as driving examiners and at National Highways, museums and art galleries, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Read More: Thousands of ambulance workers to go on strike in England on February 10, union announces
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our members perform vital roles. We therefore expect our strikes tomorrow will have a massive impact on public services.
"And the strikes we have announced today in the Border Force will impact on people returning from their holidays during the half-term period.
"For while the Government brought untrained military personnel in to replace our highly skilled and experienced officers in airports over Christmas, they won't be able to do that in France.
"The blame for these strikes lies firmly at the feet of ministers who are refusing to put any money on the table.
"They say they will talk about money for next year, but our members - who have been offered just a 2% rise at a time when inflation is around 10% - cannot afford to wait for next year.
"Many civil servants are already having to choose between heating and eating, having to claim the benefits they themselves have to administer and they are having to go to food banks.
"Ministers should be ashamed at how they treat their own workforce and until they come to the table with money for our members, we will continue to call strike action, with tomorrow's strike being a key part of what will be a continuous, sustained, targeted campaign."
It is the second time Border Force staff have taken the decision to strike in recent months after they staged a walkout in airports across the Christmas period.
During that strike, the government brought in military personnel to carry out Border Force work, and they could do so again.
It is also expected that the government will call on military staff during tomorrow's industrial action.
