Half term holidays to be hit by Border Force strikes

Half-term holidays look set to be hit by travel disruption as Border Force officers at major ports will strike in an ongoing dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Approximately 1000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in Dover, Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk will walk out on February 17, 18, 19 and 20.

The action coincides with schools that are due to break for the half-term holiday from Monday 13 to Friday 17 February 2023 – a time many families typically head abroad.

With February boasting some of the strongest snow conditions, ski resorts across Europe are a particularly popular destination at this time of year. February also has one of the lowest average temperatures of any month, receiving just 66.7 hours of sunshine on average, prompting holidaymakers to head for warmer shores.

The latest announcement of strike action comes as 100,000 civil servants across 123 government departments are set to walk out in the first wave of the biggest civil service strike in a decade on Wednesday. The strike dispute pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security, and impacts those working for the Border Force at airports and ports.

Driving examiners and those working at National Highways, museums and galleries, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are also included in the strike action.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our members perform vital roles. We, therefore, expect our strikes tomorrow will have a massive impact on public services.

"And the strikes we have announced today in the Border Force will impact on people returning from their holidays during the half-term period.

"For while the government brought untrained military personnel in to replace our highly skilled and experienced officers in airports over Christmas, they won’t be able to do that in France.

"The blame for these strikes lies firmly at the feet of ministers who are refusing to put any money on the table.”

Border Force’s chief operating officer Steve Dann advised travellers to prepare for longer wait times and use e-gates where possible to pass through border control quickly. He also recommended checking ahead to ensure that no changes have been made to travel plans before departure.

Striking Border Force officers are unhappy with the minimal pay rise offered amidst the cost-of-living crisis. Offered a 2 per cent increase whilst inflation rests at around 10 per cent, Mr Serwotka said PCS members “cannot afford” to wait for next year for a rise.

"Many civil servants are already having to choose between heating and eating, having to claim the benefits they themselves have to administer and they are having to go to food banks”, he added.

"Ministers should be ashamed at how they treat their own workforce and until they come to the table with money for our members, we will continue to call strike action, with tomorrow’s strike being a key part of what will be a continuous, sustained, targeted campaign."