Heathrow Airport hampered by strike action from Border Force over new imposed rosters

Border Force staff at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) were on strike action between August 31 and September 3. The 650 PCS members (Union for Public and Commercial Services) who work in passport control at terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Heathrow have been in dispute with their employer after a new roster was imposed in April. Since then, around 160 staff have left because of the lack of flexibility and changes to shifts. PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Our hard-working members at Heathrow take great pride in keeping our country’s border safe, but many are being forced out of the job they love.”

New staff have also been refused flexible working applications, despite changes to the law allowing employees to make a statutory request for permanent changes to their contract from day one. Strike action will be followed by another work-to-rule and overtime ban until 22 September.

What were the problems caused by the roster at Heathrow?

A survey of PCS members on Passport Control has revealed the issues affecting members and why they are taking strike action, regarding the new roster:

• 79% of members said they felt pressured to work longer hours than they want to
• 74% of members said they didn’t feel supported through emotionally demanding work
• 91% said their working time cannot be flexible
• 84% said they regularly feel overwhelmed at work
• 88% said they worry about managing home commitments around work commitments
• 79% said work makes them feel anxious or stressed on a regular basis
• 84% said they had considered taking time off due to work-related stress and/or related mental health issues since April 2024 when the new roster was imposed.

Testimonies from workers highlighted the impact that the roster change has had on their homelife, and the impact to their mental and physical health because of the reduction to time off in between shifts and trying to manage home responsibilities around work.

One member anonymously said to the PCS : “My life revolves around work now. I cannot drop off or pick up children from school, so my partner is having to reduce hours at work to manage school pick ups and drop offs. I don’t see my children for three to four days straight on late shifts. It’s very challenging for family as well as mentally and physically draining.”

Another said: “New longer shifts are affecting my mental and physical health. I feel tired, overworked and stressed. Even on my days off I keep on thinking about the next working day with a negative feeling and don’t want to go back to work.”

Ms Heathcote  also noted that: “They’re being told by managers to choose between caring responsibilities and their job, which is no choice at all. The only reason they’re being forced to choose is because their managers are forcing them.

“We know our strike action is likely to cause serious disruption to travellers using Heathrow at the end of the summer, but the strike can be avoided if the employer listens to the concerns of our members.”