Passport workers are on strike for five weeks over wage increases

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union working in passport offices in England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the action from April 3rd to May 5th.

Those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport will be on strike from April 3rd to May 5th, while those in Belfast will be on strike from April 7th to May 5th.

The union said the action was a “significant escalation” of their longstanding dispute and warned it would likely have a “significant impact” on passport issuance as summer approaches.

PCS Secretary General Mark Serwotka said: “This escalation of our action has come about because ministers, in sharp contrast to other parts of the public sector, have failed to hold meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action for six months .

“Their approach is further evidence that they treat their own workforce worse than anyone else. They have had six months to resolve this dispute, but for six months have refused to improve their imposed 2% pay rise and failed to address our members’ other concerns.

“They seem to think that if they ignore our members, they will disappear. But how can our members ignore the cost of living crisis when 40,000 civil servants use panels and 45,000 of them use the services they administer themselves?

“It is a national scandal and a disgrace to this government’s reputation that so many of its own workers live in poverty.”