Travellers could soon face further disruption from strike action following an “insulting” pay offer to Border Force staff.
Cabinet Office guidance published today (April 14) says pay rises for 2023 will be limited to 4.5-5%.
But the offer has been criticised by the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents Border Force staff.
More: Latest Border Force strike confirmed for April 28
Calling on PCS members to give a mandate for future strike action, Mark Serwotka described the government’s announcement as “completely inadequate”.
He said: “The government is aware our strike mandate is due to run out and getting a renewed mandate is critical to ensure we make more progress on pay, pensions and the redundancy terms.”
A government spokesperson said the pay offer “recognises the hard work and vital importance of civil service staff by offering the highest pay increase in 20 years, in line with forecast wage growth across the economy.”
Border Force staff, who took strike action in February and last month, will next be walking out on Friday, April 28.
And they are now being asked to vote ‘yes’ in a ballot to renew the mandate for industrial action. The ballot opened on March 20 and closes on May 9.
After a meeting with Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin, Serwotka issued an appeal to PCS members.
He said: “What we have been offered for 2023 is not enough but it is, for the first time, in line with what other public sector workers have been offered and have rejected.
“That we were offered it in the first place is only because of our national campaign and our incredibly well-supported strike action.
Our strikes have moved the government, but nowhere near far enough.
“The government has once again insulted our members in a way no other workers have been subjected to.
“Despite strong indications ministers were giving our members a backdated pay rise or a lump sum, today’s announcement makes no provision at all to address this 2022’s pay, which they have done for other public sector workers.
“This is an outrage, and to single us out for worse treatment than any other union is completely unacceptable.”
A spokesperson for the government said: “The deal is fair to the taxpayer and supports the government’s promise to halve inflation this year, which will help everyone’s incomes go further.”