Heathrow Airport Border Force staff cancel strike

A four-day strike planned by more than 600 Border Force staff working at Heathrow Airport has been suspended.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), who are responsible for immigration controls and passport checks, were due to walk out from 11 to 14 April in a dispute over rosters which the union said could see hundreds of staff forced out of their jobs.

The PCS said that until now “the Home Office has refused to withdraw its proposals to amend the new roster in any meaningful way”, but that following the Home Office’s desire for clarification and in a “spirit of collaboration”, it had suspended the planned strikes.

However, it warned that if there is no progress in the talks, strike action will take place.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “This is a significant move on the part of PCS that demonstrates a genuine will to work constructively in devising a new roster system that is acceptable to our members, particularly those with disabilities or those with caring responsibilities.

“This does not end the dispute. It is an opportunity for the Home Office to demonstrate they are genuinely seeking a resolution.”

In a recent ballot for strike action 90 per cent of PCS members voted in favour, according to the union. It said that as many as 250 staff members would be forced out of their jobs by the end of April because of the changes.

The strike had been set to cause chaos at Heathrow Airport as travellers returned to the UK from breaks taken over the school Easter holidays.

Heathrow Airport had sought to reassure customers by stating that “strikes like this have been managed successfully before” and that it would be “working closely with Home Office on contingency plans”.

Ms Heathcote previously branded the consultation with staff “a farce” and said that the unions members had little or no choice about the new arrangements.

In a statement issued last month, she said: “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.”

This is a breaking story and it is being updated