Britain’s military has been placed on stand-by to fill in for Border Force officials if planned strikes by government staff go ahead this winter.
Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union bosses warn of “extraordinary disruption” at airports and key ports like Dover after members voted for industrial action.
Some 100,000 workers in over 120 government departments and public bodies – including the Home Office and Border Force – are set to walk out over pay in a series of “sustained” strikes.