Border Force officers at Manchester Airport are set to stage strike action for eight days over the Christmas period.
As the UK continues to see industries and unions calling industrial action left, right and centre at the moment, with the army now even said to be “on standby” as the country prepares for rail, postal, nursing, ambulance, and lecturer strikes throughout December, staff working in the Border Force at Manchester Airport and several others are to walk-out over Christmas.
PCS Union has announced that its members employed by the Home Office on passport control will take action at Manchester Airport, as well as London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports.
Around 1,000 Border Force staff will walk-out at these airports on 23, 24, 25, 26 28, 29, 30 and 31 December 2022.
The strike action comes after 100,000 PCS members in 214 government departments and other public bodies voted to take strike action, the PCS Union explained, and also follows several other public sector strikes announced by the Driver and Vehicle Standard Agency (DVSA), Rural Payment Agency (RPA), National Highways, and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
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In all, 86% of PCS balloted members voted in favour of strike action across 124 government departments and public sector employers.
"Currently 40,000 civil servants are using food banks and 45,000 are claiming in-work benefits because they are paid so little. We've had ten consecutive years of pay rises below inflation and this year the gov't has given people 2%, while inflation runs at 11%." ~AA @pcs_unionpic.twitter.com/ddTPExW6Sb
The industrial action set to be taken by Border Force staff is over a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security, and no cuts to redundancy terms.
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“The government can stop these strikes tomorrow if it puts money on the table,” explained PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka ahead of the strike action set to take place.
“Like so many workers, our members are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. They are desperate. They are being told there is no money for them, while they watch ministers giving out government contracts worth billions of pounds to their mates.
“Some sections of the media have accused us of playing politics with these strikes but let me be clear – our dispute is with the employer.
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“We will fight to improve our members’ pay, terms and conditions regardless of who is in Downing Street.”
Border Force officers at Manchester Airport are to strike for eight days over Christmas / Credit: Phil Mosely (via Unsplash)
As Christmas is known to be a busy time at airports across the UK, the strikes by Border Force staff are very likely to lead to longer queues at passport control, the Home Office has warned, and airports are now advising travellers to check the status of their flights before travelling.
The Home Office has explained that the strikes are likely to affect people returning to the UK rather than departing.
The length of delays will depend on how well the Home Office can fill the staffing gaps.
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Manchester locals appealing for more information over a month after from finding family member’s body
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester family are still calling for more information now over a month on from the discovery of a man’s body at his Chorlton home.
William Riddell, 49, was found dead in the bedroom of a property on Astbury Avenue at approximately 11:35pm on Sunday, 10 November after being found by his stepdaughter, Sarah Hayden.
Details surrounding his passing are still scarce but a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail “pending further enquiries”, leaving Sarah and the rest of her family still none the wiser as to the exact nature of his death.
Preparing to spend their first Christmas without him, they have issued a desperate appeal for more information, urging anyone who might have information to come forward.
#APPEAL | The family of a man who died last month are appealing to the public for information as they face their first Christmas without him.
Billy Riddell was sadly found dead at his property in Manchester, with enquiries continuing.
Riddell, more commonly known as Billy by those close to him, was described as a “good, caring man with a big heart” and a popular figure in the local area.
Speaking via Greater Manchester Police, Sarah, said: “I want to be Billy’s voice and get answers for him. Billy was a nice and lovely man and all the community knew who he was. He was well-liked and we gave him a good send-off at his funeral.
“I would just ask anyone who knew him or has any information to come forward and tell police. Even if you think it’s a little or small thing – please come forward. We just want to get to the bottom of what has happened.”
Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, who serves on GMP‘s Major Incident Team, added in an official statement: “The family of Billy deserve answers following his death and we are working hard to ensure they get exactly that.
“We have closely supported Sarah and the wider family over the last month, and we will continue to provide assistance wherever we can as they face their first Christmas without him.
“While a suspect has been bailed, we are still working flat-out to understand more about Billy’s life, the people he was close to, and events leading up to his death just over a month ago.”
With that in mind, both GMP and Riddell’s family are asking anyone who might know anything or have information regarding people associated with Billy to come forward, reiterating that “even if you consider something to be small – your help could greatly benefit our investigation.”
You can contact police via 101 or by using the live chat function HERE, quoting log 3227 of 10/11/24.
Alternatively, you can contact the UK’s independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
Government aims to ‘turn the tide’ on homelessness with £1 billion funding boost
Emily Sergeant
Nearly £1 billion of funding is being pumped into Council budgets to help “break the cycle of spiralling homelessness” in 2025.
As part of the Government‘s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and in a bid to help tackle, reduce, and prevent homelessness next year, it’s been announced that more resources will be be made available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.
This significant investment means Councils will now be “better equipped” to step in early and stop households from becoming homeless in the first place.
According to the Government’s plans, these funded measures will include mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, helping homeless people find new homes, and providing deposits to access private renting.
This government is determined to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness.
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) December 18, 2024
The funding will also be used to address the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation, and the streamlining of funding structures to make it easier for Councils to spend their cash.
Areas across the UK can also choose to channel resources into services such as Housing First.
Housing First has been massively successful in Greater Manchester, and has helped house hundreds of our region’s rough sleepers since it was first piloted, being described as “life-changing” along the way.
More than £633 million of the funding will be allocated for the Homelessness Prevention Grant – which is a £192 million increase from this year – while £185.6 million will go to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, more than £37 million to the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and £5 million will be for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots.
This new £1 billion funding boost comes after it was announced back in September that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished in England next year as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.
It will also look to support the Government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation – with an extra £500 million ploughed into the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.
Emily Sergeant -
8th December 2022 
