Heathrow immigration staff to strike on 10 May over pensions

by liamssoft | May 2, 2012 at 10:38 am

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Immigration staff are to stage a one-day strike in the bitter dispute over public sector pensions, threatening huge disruption at airports including Heathrow, which is already being hit by massive delays.

The Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents 4,500 Border Agency staff, said its members will walk out next Thursday, May 10, at ports and airports across the UK and abroad.

The union said it was in dispute with the Government over plans to increase the retirement age for public servants, linking it to the state retirement age.

The Government is already dealing with complaints about long queues at Heathrow and is planning to draft in 80 extra staff.

The ISU said it believed managers would be used to cover for its members during next week's strike, which is being held on the day tens of thousands of civil servants, lecturers, health staff, Ministry of Defence employees and members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary also take industrial action.

"The Government will run some kind of skeleton service. If the airlines advise people not to travel on that day things might be quiet," said a union spokesman.

"We want a fixed retirement age of 65 for immigration staff."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/heathrow-immigration-staff-to-strike-on-10-may-over-pensions-7707160.html