Suffolk travel agent urges us to check our passports are valid amid strikes
It's as Passport Office workers start a five week walkout
Last updated 3rd Apr 2023
A Suffolk travel agent is urging people to be prepared as Passport Office workers launch a five-week strike today, in an ongoing civil service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.
More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row.
Picket lines are being mounted outside the offices in Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Southport, Peterborough, London, Belfast and Newport in Wales.
The union said those taking action will be supported by a strike fund.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka has written to the Government calling for urgent talks in a bid to resolve the dispute.
He has accused ministers of treating its own employees differently to others in the public sector after negotiations were held with unions representing health workers and teachers.
"It's a customer's responsibility"
Andrea Powell is from Idelo Travel in Suffolk.
She tells us you won’t get a refund if you miss a holiday due to an expired passport: "It's a customer's responsibility to make sure they have the correct documents. If they don't there's very little that can be done...
"We always make sure, before we book, that the customer has the correct details and that their passport is valid, because it's not right to book someone in who won't be able to travel."
The Home Office is advising people to give at least 10 weeks for a new passport to arrive, so Andrea says it's worth getting requests in early: "Those most affected are people who need to travel last minute... everyone else should just plan a little earlier that usual."
What does the Home Office say?
The Home Office said the Passport Office has already processed more than 2.7 million applications this year, adding over 99.7% of standard applications are being processed within 10 weeks, with the majority of those delivered to customers well under this timescale.
There are currently no plans to change official guidance which states that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport.
Security Strikes
Meanwhile, Heathrow said the airport continues to operate as normal and security lanes are free-flowing despite an ongoing strike by security guards.
Contingency plans are "working well" an airport spokesman said, adding: "There have been no last-minute cancellations at Heathrow due to these strikes.
"Any cancellations were agreed and actioned at the start of the week, giving passengers advance notice.
"Any additional cancellations today are an airline decision and not connected to these strikes.
"This could include a number of factors such as aircraft issues, crew shortages, weather at outstations or air traffic control issues like the ongoing strikes in France."