Border Force officers completed four days of rolling industrial action at 07:00 on 31 December, affecting Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports as well as the Port of Newhaven. The Home Office deployed 800 military personnel and civil-service volunteers to keep passport desks open, but inbound passengers faced waits of up to two hours at peak times.
Although normal rosters resumed on New Year’s Day, officials caution that staff backlogs and a heavier-than-usual post-holiday arrival surge could prolong queues for several more days. Airlines have been asked to stagger flight volumes and warn passengers to allow extra time. Electronic passport (e-gate) availability was prioritised for British and EEA travellers to ease congestion, but families with children under 12 experienced the longest lines.
![Border Force strike ends but UK travellers warned of residual queues after festive walk-outs]()
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union says the dispute centres on roster inflexibility and staffing levels following a 12 % attrition rate last year. With no settlement in sight, PCS is preparing a fresh ballot that could trigger further strikes over the February half-term peak – a critical window for corporate road-warriors and project-mobilisation teams.
For mobility managers the practical steps are clear: monitor live queue dashboards at major airports, encourage eligible staff to use e-gates, and budget additional travel time in client contracts. Employers bringing assignees into the UK this week may want to book Fast-Track Arrival services where available and offer alternative regional airports if itineraries are flexible.
In the longer term the dispute has reignited debate about legislating minimum-service levels for critical border functions, something ministers are consulting on. Any statutory changes could influence the ease with which frontline staff can exercise the right to strike, indirectly shaping future travel-risk profiles.
Although normal rosters resumed on New Year’s Day, officials caution that staff backlogs and a heavier-than-usual post-holiday arrival surge could prolong queues for several more days. Airlines have been asked to stagger flight volumes and warn passengers to allow extra time. Electronic passport (e-gate) availability was prioritised for British and EEA travellers to ease congestion, but families with children under 12 experienced the longest lines.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union says the dispute centres on roster inflexibility and staffing levels following a 12 % attrition rate last year. With no settlement in sight, PCS is preparing a fresh ballot that could trigger further strikes over the February half-term peak – a critical window for corporate road-warriors and project-mobilisation teams.
For mobility managers the practical steps are clear: monitor live queue dashboards at major airports, encourage eligible staff to use e-gates, and budget additional travel time in client contracts. Employers bringing assignees into the UK this week may want to book Fast-Track Arrival services where available and offer alternative regional airports if itineraries are flexible.
In the longer term the dispute has reignited debate about legislating minimum-service levels for critical border functions, something ministers are consulting on. Any statutory changes could influence the ease with which frontline staff can exercise the right to strike, indirectly shaping future travel-risk profiles.
Source: GOV.UK
