Strikes could cause airport ‘gridlock’
Unions tell Channel 4 News there is “desperation” in government over what impact next week’s public sector strikes will have, as Heathrow airport warns of 12-hour delays and major disruption.
The industrial action, which will affect arrivals at airports across the UK, is part of a wider day of strikes by public sector workers over pensions. The TUC estimates around 2 million workers could refuse to work.
Alongside teachers and paramedics, staff working for the UK Border Agency (UKBA) will also take part in the walk-out on 30 November.
Heathrow Airport operator BAA told Channel 4 News it is expecting 12-hour delays from 7am onwards when the strike begins next Wednesday.
Up to 22,000 passengers are set to arrive at the airport before 9am on 30 November. The earliest arrival at Heathrow is usually around 4.30am with last departures leaving at around 11.00pm. The airport normally handles 1,300 flights per day, carrying approximately 180,000 passengers. There may be less traffic if passengers change their travel plans to avoid the strike.
Read more: How will the strikes affect you?
The strike action is more likely to impact arriving passengers, with Manchester Airport predicting it is unlikely to have any effect on departing passengers.
The Home Office assured travellers it was doing its best to reduce the impact of the action.
“Securing the border is our priority and over the last weeks and months we have considered all options to ensure we are prepared for union action. We always aim to minimise any disruption caused by the decision of unions to strike, but travellers could see longer waiting times at some ports and airports,” it said in a statement.
Not prepared
But the General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) Mark Serwotka, told Channel 4 News the government is not prepared:
“The desperation at the top of UKBA is symptomatic of the disarray across government in relation to this dispute,” he said.
“First they offered to fly people back from embassies, then they put a call out to all civil servants asking if they wanted to work the borders, and they’re even training private staff to check vehicles for radioactive material.
“You can’t train people up in a day to do the work our members do – it takes months to train for. It’s an insult to hard-working border force staff that, to try and break a strike entirely of the government’s making, it is scratching around trying to cover skilled work with volunteers.”
A key difference between this industrial action and that which took place in June is that staff from the independent ISU (which also represents border agency staff) will be taking part in the protest.
Meanwhile, British Airways has said passengers may change their flights free of charge to either the three days before the action or seven days after it “as far as capacity allows”.