Border Force staff at Heathrow to strike over shift patterns

More than 600 Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport are to stage a four-day strike in a dispute over shifts.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will walk out from April 11.

The workers, who carry out immigration controls and passport checks, last week voted by 90% to walk out over a new roster and changes to shift patterns.

The union said the changes could see 250 staff at the London airport forced to lose their jobs by the end of next month.

The changes will particularly affect workers with disabilities or those with caring responsibilities, the union claims.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Ministers have 14 days to withdraw these unfair and unnecessary proposals or our members at Heathrow will take strike action.

“Consultation with staff has been a farce, with our members having little or no choice about the new arrangements.

“Ripping up flexible working arrangements is no way to treat staff especially as the Government says their work is critical to our nation’s security.

“Some members are heartbroken that the Border Force has become ‘unprofessional and inhumane’.

“If the Government is serious about border security, it should look at Border Force officers’ job security, look after its staff, scrap the changes and work with us to protect jobs and working conditions.”