Soldiers, sailors and RAF personnel are being trained in the hope of averting a summer of delays if industrial action goes ahead. The contingency plan is a repeat of that seen in December, when troops were authorised to work alongside civil servants when Border Force staff failed to turn up for work.
TTG understands streamlined training is now under way. This is thought to take as little as five days, compared with the normal three weeks. It does so as at least one union ballots Border Force members on taking action.
The ISU union is awaiting the result of a vote on industrial action, while another Border Force union, the PCS, is also considering moves over pay and conditions.
Border Force PCS members walked out for eight days last Christmas. Lighter than usual passenger numbers meant there were no significant reported delays despite Steve Dann, Border Force chief operating officer, warning: “Our contingency workforce will not be able to operate with the same efficiency.”
There are fears strikes will have much greater impact during the summer peak, which is this year set to be the busiest since 2019.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “As the public would expect, our priority is to keep our citizens safe and our borders secure.
“We are working closely with all UK ports and airports to ensure we have robust plan in place to minimise any delays if strike action goes ahead. We will deploy suitable resource to meet critical demand and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border.
“We always recommend that passengers check the latest advice from their operators before travelling.”
TTG has approached the ISU for comment.
