Delays at UK airports

9 May 2012

Travellers headed for Heathrow, Gatwick or any other UK airport this week can expect further delays at these airports as UK Border Agency staff hold another strike on Thursday 10 May.

The Immigration Services Union (ISU), which represents 4,500 UK Border Agency staff, has announced that its members will walk out at ports and airports across the UK and abroad. The union explained that it is currently in dispute with the UK government over plans to increase the retirement age for public servants. The strike is also being held on the same day when tens of thousands of civil servants, lecturers, health staff, Ministry of Defence employees and members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary also take industrial action. UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, and UK Border Force managers are meeting airline officials to lay out plans to deal with the disruption. Procedures have already been set up to bring in military police and civil service employees to handle border checks. Travellers connecting at Heathrow to another destination should consider asking their airline to reroute them through another airport.