Olympic delays feared as border staff confirm strike

Heathrow could see long passport queues on 26 July after union votes for industrial action, a move condemned by David CameronHome Office staff including border officials have confirmed plans for a strike on the day before the Olympics opening ceremony, threatening long passport queues at Heathrow airport when arrivals are predicted to be busiest.Members of the Public and Commercial Services union working in the Home Office, including 5,500 in the Border Agency, voted on Wednesday for industrial action. The general secretary, Mark Serwotka, has confirmed that a one-day strike will go ahead on 26 July, with a work-to-rule and overtime ban for the rest of the Olympic period. Next Thursday is forecast by Heathrow as the peak arrival day for sponsors and international media.David Cameron earlier took time out from a visit to Afghanistan to condemn the planned strike. He said: "I do not believe it will be right. I do not believe it will be justified."The PCS leadership says the strike is necessary to highlight what it describes as a "public service falling apart at the seams" with thousands of job cuts, and to protest against eroded pay and working conditions as well as the privatisation of civil service jobs.While previous strikes in May and last November did not lead to significant extra queues, the union claims that untrained Home Office replacements did not adequately scrutinise passports to avoid any repeat of the lengthy waits that made headlines internationally. The Border Force is already stretched, with supplementary staff enlisted to keep queues to a minimum.The PCS balloted almost 16,000 Home Office employees working in the Identity and Passport Service, the Criminal Records Bureau and the Border Agency.Serwotka said the disruption would "maximise pressure on the coalition to change direction". He said the action was needed to highlight the "reckless" way the government was running the border.Last week the chief inspector of borders and immigration, John Vine, told MPs that temporary staff were processing passengers more slowly while asking fewer questions, and had received only basic training.The immigration minister, Damian Green, warned that any action that disrupts the Olympics would not be supported by the public.Two other unions have also announced industrial action during the Games. Drivers on East Midlands Trains are to stage a three-day strike from 6 August in a row over pensions, Aslef said on Thursday. Members of the RMT on South West Trains have voted to take industrial action short of a strike in a dispute over an Olympic bonus, rejecting strikes by a narrow margin of four votes. The union said a legal challenge by Greater Anglia, which runs services via the Olympic station of Stratford, had halted a strike ballot by RMT members on its staff.Olympic Games 2012Trade unionsHeathrowDavid CameronAir transportImmigration and asylumGwyn Tophamguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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