May Strikes to be Held by Heathrow's Security Personnel and Passport Workers
The source of the image is PA Media.
PCS union members were seen standing outside the Glasgow Passport Office earlier this month, protesting on the picket line.
Airport and passport employees have declared more strike action for the upcoming month as their conflicts regarding salary continue to intensify.
The Unite union has announced that the security personnel at Heathrow Airport will engage in industrial action for an additional eight days this coming May.
The PCS Union has declared that over 1,000 workers from the Passport Office will participate in a strike in early May too.
The association of FDA is also going to conduct a vote among higher-ranking government employees in order to decide if they should go on strike.
The most recent updates from the trio of unions arrive amidst a surge of strikes initiated by countless employees across various industries in the last 12 months.
Conflicts typically arise regarding payment, as labor unions demand increased wages to match the higher cost of living.
Around 2,000 employees of PCS, who are responsible for examining passports in various cities such as Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport, have been participating in a strike since the 3rd of April.
From 2 to 6 May, a group of 1,000 workers with non-examination responsibilities will be added to the same offices, as well as interview officers in Birmingham, Corby, Hemel Hempstead, Leeds, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Plymouth from 3 to 6 May.
Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of PCS, expressed his disapproval of the government last week for announcing a pay increase ranging from 4.5% to 5% for his staff, which he claims was an insulting move.
Over the Easter break, approximately 1,400 security officers staged a 10-day strike at Heathrow. These same workers have now decided to go on strike for an additional eight days. The chosen dates for the upcoming strike are 4th until 6th May, 9th until 10th May, and finally 25th until 27th May.
The organization Unite declared that the strikes would create agitation and tardiness for individuals coming to witness the crowning of the King. This would happen as Heathrow refused to offer a satisfactory proposal that fulfills the desires of their members.
The workers who were on a strike at Heathrow were made an offer of a 10% increase in salary in the month of January. However, in the recent discussions held last week, Heathrow announced that they have further improved on their offer by adding a lump sum payment of £1,150 for this year.
According to the airport, Unite has declined to present the updated proposal to its members.
According to a representative from Heathrow, they successfully maintained the airport's operations during the initial 10-day period of Unite's unsuccessful strike. Those traveling through Heathrow can trust that they will once again ensure smooth operations during the current strike.
Before the strike took place, British Airways preemptively cancelled roughly 300 flights.
The FDA comprises of individuals from different backgrounds, ranging from lower level civil servants to the highest level, known as permanent secretaries. Its members are composed of experts in various fields such as policy advising, diplomacy, law, taxes, economics, statistics, and even those working in museums.
This marks the Union's initial approval of a nationwide vote for a strike concerning payment, after a span of over 4 decades.
Following the ruling made by the government last week, civil servants will now receive a salary increase ranging from 4.5% to 5%.
