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UK Border Agency says people should avoid flying on Thursday, with letter to airlines warning of ‘delays at the border’ The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has suggested people should avoid flying on Thursday if possible in order to avoid “severe” disruption at airports caused by immigration officials taking strike action, the Guardian has learned. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are expected to stay away from their posts at terminals, raising the threat of significant queues at passport control. At least seven out of ten UKBA employees at some major airports are PCS members. A letter to airlines at Heathrow from UKBA said “some passengers may experience delays at the border” and “those passengers who can travel on an alternative day may therefore wish to do so”. UK airports handle around 500,000 passengers per day, with Heathrow dealing with around one-third of that total. BAA said the UKBA advice appeared to apply to airports across the UK. Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said training UKBA managers to take the place of passport checkers would not prevent delays. “It is likely that there will be severe disruptions and delays affecting both ports and airports,” he said. “Our membership in Dover and Heathrow is particularly strong. “We expect longer queues and for managers to waive controls they would usually undertake. There will be less presence in terms of people coming and going. There is a theoretical risk to security in terms of smuggling and security of the borders, which essentially could be weakened.” Serwotka said courts would also be disrupted, with sittings delayed or cancelled. People who are sentenced on Thursday could face long waits in holding cells, with no administration staff to process their transfer to prison. Cells at police stations could see a substantial backlog building up through the day, which could take another day to clear. Members of the Prison Officers Association – who are banned in law from striking – are expected to hold protest lunchtime meetings at every prison in the country on Thursday in an expression of solidarity. Government contingency planning in the run-up to Thursday, including a call for parents to step in at strike-hit schools, has been criticised by union leaders. According to the PCS, the training regime does not cover the so-called IS81 stage, which is the power, under the Immigration Act, to detain someone attempting to enter the UK. The union also alleges that stand-in staff will not be able to stamp passports and will have difficulties accessing lists of people wanted by the police and security services, with further concerns over the ability of temporary staff to spot forged documents. “It takes an experienced immigration officer to be capable of detecting a forged passport. I think passport control will be extremely vulnerable,” Sue Kendal, a PCS shop steward and former immigration officer, said. The PCS also claimed there would be no customs control on Thursday. However, an airport source played down security concerns, saying: “It is a question of delays rather than threats to security.” John Strickland, an air transport consultant, said: “Passport control is a notorious pressure point at airports at the best of times, so it will not give a good impression of the country to first-time visitors. “And it will not be any better for UK natives who are already not happy with the delays and queues at airports in south England.” A Manchester airport spokesman said the strike was “likely to affect border controls at airports including Manchester.” He added: “We are already working with the Border Agency to minimise disruption and ensure we are able to handle the passengers who are expected to fly back in to the airport.” PCS members start industrial action at 6pm on Wednesday, with the action ending at midnight on Thursday. Jonathan Sedgwick, the acting chief executive of UKBA, said: “We will do everything we can to minimise disruption and inconvenience to travellers. But our priority will always be to ensure that the UK border remains secure.” The cabinet held a special session on Thursday’s strikes during its regular weekly meeting in Downing Street on Tuesday to discuss the likely impact and some contingency planning. David Cameron’s official spokesman said the prime minister would be setting out the government’s position on public sector pensions in a speech today. Sources said his language would be “non-confrontational” and set out the case for making public sector pensions fairer for taxpayers. “Our view is that reform of public sector pensions is necessary, that the proposals we have set out represent a fair deal for public sector workers and for the taxpayer, and that as we are in the middle of discussions with the unions, strike action on Thursday is premature,” the spokesman said. Trade unions David Cameron Transport Air transport Public sector pensions Public sector pay Public sector cuts BAA Dan Milmo Polly Curtis guardian.co.uk