As a result of Border Force employees walking off the job during one of the busiest times of the year, thousands of flights could be delayed.
This week, as part of an intensifying campaign of industrial action, Border Force employees will be among those anticipated to walk out on the job.
The passport check desks at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Glasgow airports will be affected by the strike by more than 1,000 Border Force staff from Friday until Boxing Day and from December 28 to New Year’s Eve.
During these times, more than 10,000 planes are scheduled to land at these airports, and it is believed that the strikes could cause travelers to wait in passport lines for more than two hours during the Christmas holiday season.
According to a story in The Times, backup plans are being developed to avert arrival hall overcrowding by holding people on arriving aircraft.
A publication cited a source participating in the discussions as saying the following “Border Force is considering relocating personnel around the country, although this is a particularly busy time.
“Two-hour delays at the border are commonly discussed at meetings.
If everything backs up or something fails (such as e-gates), airports will be required to hold people on planes to minimize overcrowding.
Several airlines have already taken steps to mitigate the impact.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are limiting ticket sales for flights to Heathrow during Border Force strike days, it was disclosed on Friday.
Both airlines are allowing customers to reschedule their flights to a non-strike day, and they are reviewing flight itineraries and ticket limits.
This week will also see the beginning of industrial action by ambulance personnel, with 10,000 employees in England and Wales scheduled to walk off the job on Wednesday.
Unison, GMB, and Unite, the three major ambulance unions, will be involved, and GMB members will strike again on December 28.
The government has announced intentions to send 1,200 soldiers to staff ambulances and passport checks, but union leaders have stated that the military is “insufficiently trained” for these positions.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the armed forces, told The Sunday Telegraph that the armed forces are busy and must “concentrate on our principal duty.”
Members of the Royal College of Nursing will strike for a second time in parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, with the union stating that the government has 48 hours from the end of the strike to agree to salary discussions or face more broad industrial action next year.
Steve Barclay, the United Kingdom’s secretary of state for health, has continued to reject calls for negotiations on compensation, instead proposing discussions on other topics that are “important to workers.
According to him, the nurses’ compensation requests are “unaffordable,” and the government accepts “in full” the conclusions of an independent pay review commission.
Rail workers, driving examiners, highway workers, postal workers, and Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) employees are all on strike this week.
DWP employees in Liverpool and Doncaster who are members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) will strike from today until Christmas Eve and again from December 29-31.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The first week of our strikes has already caused disruption for farmers awaiting payment, learner drivers waiting to pass their exams, and those using our roads, and the situation will only worsen if the government does not put money on the table.
They deserve considerably more than the 2% wage raise they’ve been awarded for carrying out vital duties and keeping the country functioning.
A DWP spokeswoman said: “We truly admire the work of our employees, but the PCS union’s demands would cost the nation an unacceptable £2.4 billion at a time when we must focus on lowering inflation to reduce the burden on homes, protect the vulnerable, and rebuild our economy.
“Benefits, the state pension, and child support payments are paid automatically, and recipients will continue to receive them.”
Today, the Cabinet Office is set to release a new “resilience framework” that would “bolster” the United Kingdom’s preparedness for industrial action by bringing together all levels of government, the corporate sector, charities, and the general public.
