UK & World News
- 19 July 2012, 1:49
Airport Immigration Staff Vote To Strike
Home Office staff - including UK Border Agency workers - have voted in favour of industrial action.
PCS trade union members voted in favour of either strike action or some other form of industrial action in a ballot, the union said.
Members are angry about jobs cuts across the civil service, particularly at the UK Border Agency (UKBA), which the PCS says have resulted in "chaos at the borders and queues at airports".
The union also says it is disputing the Government's plans to cap pay rises at 1% and privatise work currently done by civil servants.
Only 20% of the union's members voted. Of those, 57.2% supported a strike, and 75.8% voted for different industrial action.
Possible dates of the industrial action - and forms it could take - will be announced on Thursday, but it is possible that a strike could coincide with the Olympics.
Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said: "This is serious.
"We're not talking Whitehall pen pushers here - we're talking about Border Agency staff, when there are already those massive queues at Heathrow Airport."
He said the news would come as yet another blow to the Home Secretary.
"As if things weren't bad enough for Theresa May with the G4S crisis, she faces the possibility of a strike by Border Agency staff - and passport office staff and criminal records staff as well," he said.
PCS' general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said: "Ministers have known about these issues for a very long time but have chosen not to act.
"We believe they have acted recklessly and irresponsibly in cutting so many jobs and, in the case of UKBA, they have simply tried to paper over the cracks by deploying severely undertrained staff at our borders.
"If these issues are not resolved, they threaten to seriously undermine the Home Office's ability to provide vital public services, and we cannot sit back and allow that to happen."
According to the union, the Home Office has announced plans to cut 8,500 jobs by 2015, and the UKBA will cut 22% of its staff during this period.
"This is completely unsustainable and has had a major effect on UKBA's ability to function," the union said.
Update:
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what do you think?
TIM x
I could have bet my house on this. Just in time for the Olympics. Cant wait for unite to screw up the transport next and watch the whole games collapse. Because its Britain.
Mikel roi
Go on then, bet your house, I dare you! The Government brought this on - the Unions are merely responding and if it embarrasses the government in front of the world, well they asked for it.
Adrian Wagstaff
I think, 57.2 + 75.8 = 133 percent? My old calculator seems to have stuck but I think 133 percent of 20 percent is probably about 26 percent and therefore it might not make too much difference to the figures. Oh wow? Is that a thunderstorm? That sounds big. That thunderstorm is practically shaking the ground. I'm going to watch that!
John Byrne
Your manipulation of the figures is brilliant, are Hoy after a job in the government? 52% of voters, voted for strike action in one question and 75% voted for action other than a strike.
TIM x
20% of union members voted. Of which 57% wanted strike action. Pardon me but that means that only about 11.2% of union members want this. Massive majority isn't it? Time to change the strike laws
John Byrne
When its certain that their is only one possible outcome lots of people don't vote, that's not just for strike action but for general elections too.
romsey1891
With 80% of the union members not voting,apathetic or what!!! Why are these people even union members?
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John Byrne
Ken, don't think PCS are forced to join normally bad management and poor government decisions increase the union membership better than any other form of recruitment.
stevie may
Between the strikers and the weather, they should do for the Olympics - even if there are no riots this year !
Tara Dunn
that really would put the cap on it now, a country full of riots, with no police or army because theyre all on duty at the olympics. Mind they could send G4s in to sort it out.
Jonathan Goodwin-Self
Clegg says he wants millions of immigrants into the UK and Cameron also says yes to support him. Now the Conservatives will have to kick him out because at the new General Election they could lose 90% of their seats because 100% of the population says he is terrible together with Osbourne.
David Wragg
You are right. This country cannot support more people, especially since so many of the immigrants have large families and are a burden on the NHS, housing and the benefits system. Cameron is a closet LibDem who has destroyed the Tory party.
brian foster
All the Unite Executive should be placed under house arrest and all forms of communication should be removed until after the Olympic Games are all over. First it was the Bus Drivers and now it spreads to the Border Staff. Will it be the Ticket Inspectors next. They are Bent on seeing the Games in the Bin
John Byrne
Eager to live in a police state are you? And putting the unite leaders under house arrest would do nothing as the union calling this strike is the PCS.
Tara Dunn
well said John.
Mikel roi
It takes all sorts! I love all the suggestion that we run a similar oppresive "military junta" regime like some countries I could name and where perhaps foster would be happier living? Most of the rights and working conditions won from the excessively wealthy in the past and that you enjoy today were won by Unionists who fought for their entitlements as ferociously as all the "fat cats" fight for theirs!
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David Wragg
Orange deleted my comment which simply said that if only a fifth of the members voted, there could be a basis for a legal challenge to the strike, otherwise the law needs to be changed. It is also about time May was sacked.
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Chris Robinson
An awful lot of MPs would not be in Parliament if percentages of those voting were taken into account. Most people wait for the result and are prepared to join a strike in my experience.
Windows Live User
What was the percentage vote for both the cons and dems and the turnout Memory fails me
Chris Robinson
On a 65% turnout - Cons 36% ((64% of electors did not vote for them.) Labour 29% (71% of electors did not vote for them.) LibDems 23% (77% of electors did not vote for them).
Mick Daniel
The time has come to ban trade unions, ban strikes and imprision all union leaders. They are nothing but destructive to individuals, business and the country. Trade unions destoyed the docks, the car industry, the mines and ship building and are responsible for more human misery in the UK than any other body of people. They disgust me.
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Chris Robinson
No, it was the capitalists that destroyed 20% of our industries. They closed them down and invested abroad where there was non-unionised, cheap labour, particularly in countries ruled by despotic regimes. It's also capitalism that has now, and continues, to wreak havoc on our people - throwing them out of work, cutting pay, cutting our hospitals, destroying our education system. Go ahead and let's see them try to ban unions - see what happens. The government know they daren't do this unless they want a revolution on their hands and rightly so.
Mikel roi
Actually, I think religions hold the records you claim for inflicting death and mayhem on the long suffering ordinary peasants - especially in recent centuries and in now in other places!
Peter Edwardson
There are too many of them anyway. If the strikes are called during the OG's fine the unions for anti social behaviour and hire some professional security from the USA or Israel.
Mikel roi
R U planning armed insurrection or something? Or did you just mean like other privatised examples, G4S? You only get what you pay for. If you pay peanuts you get ...
Windows Live User
Airport Immigration Staff - If they dont want the job then give me a try
J R
When are we going to stand up to these union-directed idiots? Do what Regan did with the ATC staff - he said if they went on strike, he would replace them. They went on strike, and they were all sacked and replaced. That stopped the rot. I'm fed up with people holding others to ransom every time they see an opportunity to gain financially without regard to the chaos they cause.
gordon
Could n't agree more
Gillian Stafford
Your last sentence sounds like we are back on the bankers again !! ... lol
happymike CHESTER
With having no strong trade unions the American pilots flying to your hoilday is only on a truck drivers wages i.e. $20.000 a Very low wage in America . Tired with long hours to earn extra .
Mike Anon
I am sick & tired of the various unions 'gun to the head' tactics. We are already the laughing stock of the world with the Olympic security (or lack of it) debacle, a strike led by the PCS union would just put the tin hat on it. Our politicians are next to useless at handling the situation.
Lorgar Aurelian
4:08pm on 18/7/2012
Would we even notice if they did?
Chris Robinson
1:54pm on 20/7/2012
They are going to, Lorgar, and, even though the strike hasn't happened yet, millions have 'noticed' - it's all over the press and TV.