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Heathrow Airport security staff to hold 10-day strike over Easter

Heathrow

Heathrow security to strike for 10 days including Easter

British Airways passengers will face mayhem and long delays at Heathrow Airport this Easter after security workers voted in favour of a 10-day strike.

The strike will hit passengers flying in and out of Terminal 5 from March 31 to April 9.

1,500 security personnel, including those who check passengers and their luggage as they pass through to departures, will go on strike.

British Airways passengers will be the most affected, as the terminal only serves flights operated by the airline.

Read More: Passport Office staff to hold five weeks of strikes in row over pay and working conditions

Campus security guards who are responsible for checking cargo across the airport will also be on strike, according to Unite the Union.

Heathrow said it would put in place contingency plans to keep parts of the airport open and operational.

The strikes follow the announcement passport workers are also to take part in a five-week strike in the run-up to the summer holidays, putting additional strain on travellers and mirroring the chaos seen last year.

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More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union working in passport offices in England, Scotland, and Wales will strike over pay, jobs, and conditions from April 3 to May 5.

Workers in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough, and Southport will go on strike from April 3 to May 5.

The union called the walkouts a "significant escalation" of its long-running dispute.

It warned it was likely to have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports as the summer approaches.

Read More: Teachers, junior doctors and Tube staff hold strikes on Budget day

It comes as demand for international holidays has recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

A poll of 2,000 adults conducted by the travel association ABTA, showed two-thirds of Britons are planning a foreign vacation in the next month, with more than a third (37 percent) having already booked one.

Read More: More NHS strikes as thousands of junior doctors walkout over pay

The strike coincides with passport office officials expecting a similar surge in demand this year compared to 2022 when travellers postponed renewing their documents during Covid.

360,000 people had to wait longer than the standard 10-week period.

Passport office officials are preparing contingency plans and remain firm in their prediction that applicants will receive their documents within 10 weeks.

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Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said: "This escalation of our action has come about because, in sharp contrast with other parts of the public sector, ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action lasting six months.”

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Home Office will work hard to manage the impact of this strike action to ensure they can still provide the vital service to the British public as you would expect ahead of the summer where we fully acknowledge that many people will want to get away and enjoy the summer with their family.

"So we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes."

SourceThe Telegraph

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