UK Border Force staff at Heathrow to strike during homeward rush

’Our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer’ – PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote

Waiting game: a strike by UK Border Force could affect passengers arriving at Heathrow airport, the UK’s busiest hub (Simon Calder)

Passport officers at Britain’s busiest airport, London Heathrow, will walk out during the homeward rush of UK holidaymakers at the end of the summer school holidays.

The PCS union says 650 members who work in passport control at Heathrow will strike from Saturday 31 August to Tuesday 3 September.

The stoppage will be immediately followed by a work-to-rule and overtime ban until Sunday 22 September.

The aim of the strike is to cause maximum impact as hundreds of thousands of families return from holidays abroad. While most arrivals at Heathrow use eGates to get through passport control, these are not available to children under 10.

The UK Border Force staff are in dispute about what the union calls “enforced changes to their rota”.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country’s border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love.

“They’re being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they’re being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them.

“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.”

Since the dispute began, the officers have taken seven days of strike action.

Previous walk-outs have not had a significant effect on operations, though the decision to target the end of the school holidays may lead to long queues.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “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.

“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.”