Fears of Easter holiday travel chaos as Heathrow set to strike

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get Simon Calder’s Travel email

Families may have to prepare for Easter holiday travel chaos as Heathrow border force staff threaten strike action.

More than 600 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) members based at Heathrow Airport are to be balloted for strike action, which could take place during the Easter holidays.

The PSC say this could potentially cause long queues at the UK’s largest airport for families trying to get away over the school holidays.

The call for strike action comes as a result of border force staff being unhappy about planned changes to rosters and shift patterns.

The PSC claim this could force some staff to quit and said they are also striking over poor working conditions.

“As well as seeking to impose a new Team Working Fixed Roster from 29 April, Border Force is proposing the removal of members’ legacy terms and conditions, reasonable adjustments, and flexible working arrangements,” the PSC said.

The union said that over recent weeks, hundreds of new members have joined PCS as a direct result of the proposed changes.

In a ballot that opened on Friday and runs until noon on March 22members will be asked if they are prepared to take strike action.

Fran Heathcote, the PCSU general secretary, said: “Our members at Heathrow are united in their opposition to these draconian plans.

“One aspect of the plans would force workers to choose between finding another job or losing their allowances. Another would see others having to sign up to new, exhausting shifts or leaving altogether.

“This is an appalling way to treat long-serving, dedicated staff, so it’s no wonder we’ve recruited hundreds of members in recent weeks.”

Around 1,300 planes take off and land at Heathrow each day, making it one of the busiest airports in the world, meaning the strike could cause significant delays to passengers during a busy period.