Air traffic controllers are expected to be among up to 750,000 workers who will join industrial action in a day of mass strikes planned by trade unions for June 30.
The co-ordinated public sector walk-out over pension changes, job cuts and pay freezes includes the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) whose members include air traffic controllers and border and immigration staff.
The walkout by the PCS union, which represents around 300,000 workers, will take place on the same day that hundreds of thousands of teachers also plan to strike. The dispute threatens to hit airports and ports together with job centres, tax and benefits offices, courts, driving test centres, coastguard stations and government departments.
PCS leader Mark Serwotka said: “The very modest pay and pensions of public servants did not cause the recession, so they should not be blamed or punished for it.”
He defended the low turn out for the vote to strike, at just over 30% which meant only one in five PCS members have actually voted to strike, saying strict government rules for the voting process discourage a higher turn out.