Birmingham Airport: Key advice from Birmingham Airport for passengers amid Border Force strikes

Industrial action continues in the United Kingdom, as Border Force workers prepare to go on strike for a total of eight days, causing delays for many passengers passing border control. The strikes are set to affect passengers departing and arriving from London Heathrow (Terminals 2,3,4 and 5) , London Gatwick, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Port of Newhaven and Birmingham Airport.

The Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union announced the strike action as a means for its members to “start to take real, effective action to protect our pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy pay, as the cost of living spirals and causes PCS members real hardship,” they explained.

“We do not take industrial action lightly but when the time comes we know this is what we must do,” they continue. “We have been taken for granted for too long. Strike action puts significant pressure on the employer – in our case, the government – to negotiate a fair settlement with us.

“Although we regret that this action can cause inconvenience to the people we serve, we feel confident that they will understand that we have no alternative and that our cause is just. Many people are suffering in the same ways we are – and many are taking industrial action too.”

The potential disruption to travel has led the Cabinet Office to train military personnel, civil servants and volunteers from across government  to support Border Force at airports and ports across the UK, however those entering the UK should be prepared for potential disruption.

Birminghamworld has had a look at the key advice from Birmingham Airport ahead of the PCS union’s round of industrial action, taking place between December 23 and December 26, and then December 28 to December 31

Key advice from Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport published on their website that flights will operate as scheduled on days when Border Force employees go on strike.

The Midlands travel hub advised passengers what to expect when members of the PCS union walk out on December 23, 24 and 25 and December 28, 29 and 30:

• all departing passengers to all destinations: unaffected. 
• arriving passengers from the Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: unaffected.
• arriving passengers with biometric (UK and EU) passports: use electronic border gates as normal and expect some delays especially at peak times.  
• arriving passengers without biometric passports: join the queue for face-to-face processing by border officials and expect a slightly longer wait than normal at peak times.

To keep the immigration and customs process working as effectively as possible on strike days, a contingency team of Ministry of Defence personnel will cover absent Border Force workers at Birmingham Airport, while customer service teams will be on hand to help keep people moving as swiftly as possible, including directing them into the correct queues.