INDUSTRIAL ACTION OF CHRISTMAS AFFECTING TRADE TO THE UK

The largest UK Civil Service Union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) voted in favour of strike action in early November.

 

PCS now has a legal mandate for its members – in areas where the legal threshold was reached – to take action for a period of 6 months (i.e. until the end of April 2023).

 

From mid-December, PCS has announced that thousands of members will hold

around one month of targeted strikes in the Home Office, Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Transport.

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The actions are likely to affect, to a degree, ports, borders and all areas of transport.

 

PCS members employed by the Home Office (Border Force officers) at locations in England, Scotland and Wales are to strike for eight days over Christmas. Officers engaged on passport control will take action at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports on December 23, 24, 25, 26 28, 29 and 30 and 31.

 

PCS members will also strike at the Port of Newhaven (East Sussex) on the above dates.

 

We do not anticipate major disruption to the Channel Ports from this set of strikes, however this may change and further strikes are highly likely.