Britain’s military has been placed on stand-by to fill in for Border Force officials if planned strikes by government staff go ahead this winter.
Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union bosses warn of “extraordinary disruption” at airports and key ports like Dover after members voted for industrial action.
Some 100,000 workers in over 120 government departments and public bodies – including the Home Office and Border Force – are set to walk out over pay in a series of “sustained” strikes.
Home secretary Suella Braverman has signed off on the training of armed forces personnel to work at ports and airports, according to The Guardian.
Personnel will reportedly be given training of less than a week – a move condemned by one union official as a “frankly despicable” strike-busting move.
Labour MP John Spellar, the former armed forces minister, said: “Once again our overstretched armed forces are being asked to cover up for gross incompetence by Whitehall and government ministers.”
The Border Force has come under increased pressure from the rise in small boat crossings in the English Channel. The Home Offices is also being pressed to reduce the overcrowding at Manston and other processing centres for asylum seekers.
Calling for a 10 per cent pay hike in line with inflation, the PCS said that unless it received “substantial proposals” from the government, it would announce a programme of “sustained” strikes next Friday.
Amid fears of delays to benefits, union chief Mark Serwotka said striking staff at the JobCentre and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would do their best to avoid “disrupting” payments.
“We certainly have no intention of wanting to be in a position of disrupting those people who are on welfare who are getting payments,” he said.
But he warned that strikes among staff at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) could disrupt payments to farmers, while striking Cabinet Office officials could jeopardise “security vetting and IT processes” across government.
Mr Serwotka also said there was already a huge backlog for driving tests, driving licences and passports, which he warned would get worse if there is a strike.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said the government was “disappointed” that the PCS has voted in favour of strikes.
“As the public would expect, we have plans in place to minimise potential disruption during possible strike action, while still carrying out essential checks,” the said.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: “We have received a request from the Home Office and are considering it in line with military aid to the civil authorities (Maca) principles. No decisions have been made yet.”
