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Date Published: 30/03/2023

ARCHIVED - Passengers told to expect delays as UK Border Force staff strike in April

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

The industrial action is expected to slow down airport operations ahead of the May bank holiday

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Passengers told to expect delays as UK Border Force staff strike in April

The Home Office has advised tourists travelling from the UK to Spain and elsewhere to use the airport e-gates wherever possible from the end of April, as Border Force staff have announced strike action. The airline workers, along with 13,000 other Civil Servants, will down tools on Friday April 28 in a demand for higher pay and better pensions.

Travellers passing through British airports ahead of the May bank holiday should expect “longer wait times,” a Home Office spokesperson said, and urged passengers to “be patient and respect officers who are working to keep our citizens safe and border secure.”

General secretary of the PCS union, Mark Serotka, said: “We know our strikes have already caused serious disruption. The new strikes and another national day of action will pile the pressure on a Government that refuses to listen.”

Passengers hoping to jet off for a break in the sun next month are already facing disappointment after British Airways cancelled more than 300 flights scheduled from Heathrow over Easter as security staff plan their own strike action.

CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, Julia Lo Bue, said that while similar Border Force industrial action before Christmas resulted in minimal disruption, holidaymakers should still double check with their agent or airline if they are scheduled to fly on April 28.

“For anyone that is travelling during this period, whether it’s for business or leisure, we would strongly advise that they prepare as much as possible for longer wait times, use e-gates where possible and check airport and port websites before travelling to see if any strikes are likely to affect their journeys,” she added.

Also of interest: German transport strike grounds dozens of flights to Spain

Image: Schumi4ever via Wikimedia Commons

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