Hundreds of Border Force officers to walk out for four days next week

More than 600 Border Force officers at Heathrow airport will strike over 11-14 April in a dispute over a new roster and changes to shift patterns.

It comes after Border Force members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at Heathrow last month voted by 90% in favour of action.

The PCS said the proposed changes to its members’ working arrangements "will particularly affect workers with disabilities or those with caring responsibilities".

Speaking late last week, 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."

Heathcote described efforts to consult affected workers "a farce", with the union’s members at Heathrow 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," Heathcote continued.

"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."