Tory ministers face a caviar shortage after refusing to pay officials who license imports a decent wage.
Workers at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who grant permits for the import of exotic and endangered animal products, are on strike this week after being denied a proper pay rise for 11 years.
Workers have been forced to use foodbanks as rents skyrocketed in Bristol and Carlisle, where the agency is based.
One striking civil servant, who earns £10.14 an hour, said they were paid “less than a teenager would working at McDonalds.”
“I am on strike because contrary to public opinion, not all civil servants are paid well,” they said. “There is a huge disparity between what [politicians] get and what we get, and we are only asking for a pay rise which we haven’t had for over a decade.”
A spokesperson for the PCS Union said: “Ministers should be ashamed that while some members of society are bemoaning a lack of caviar on their dinner plates, 40,000 of their own workforce are using foodbanks.
“Our members should not be forced to choose between heating and eating – they should be paid a fair wage for the important work they do.”
The Sunday Mirror understands the waiting time for imports of caviar, alligator belts and other luxury items will be significantly delayed as experts walk out for a second five-day strike.
It's also expected to caused delays in approving imports of zoo animals and live falcons, as well as permits for pet parrots and tortoises owned by people moving to the UK.
APHA processes 20-30,000 applications a year - with importers usually waiting around 30 days for a licence.
Live animal import permits are prioritised, ordinarily taking a few days.
An Animal and Plant Health Agency spokesperson said: “We have plans in place to minimise any impact to our business-critical work during this industrial action. Whilst there will be disruption we have robust plans in place to ensure our ability to respond to reports of disease is maintained.
“We are working across government, with industry and external partners to ensure we continue to operate our core critical business during this period of industrial action and ensure impact to industry is minimised.”
