Heathrow Industrial Action

Advice to PCS members in the Home Office asked to cover Heathrow PCP during the strike

PCS members working on Heathrow PCP are taking action short of strike, including a Work To Rule, from Wednesday 24 March and taking Strike Action from 00.01hrs Thursday 1 April to 23.59hrs Wednesday 7 April.

Information about the dispute has already been published to members. A massive 96% of members who were balloted voted in favour of taking strike action. Click here to find out more.

This is guidance to members who are asked to break the industrial action by covering the Heathrow PCP prior to or during the action.

Don't normally work on the Heathrow PCP?

Firstly, are you a PCS member who does not normally work on the PCP at Heathrow? Are you being told that you must work on the Heathrow PCP to cover for the industrial action of colleagues? Are you a seasonal worker who can choose what shifts you can work?

If so, do not volunteer to cover this work.

Training

Have you had the required PCP training? Are you content that you have the necessary competence and capability to do the job being asked of you? Have your skills been refreshed to the appropriate standard through training or regular and routine exposure to the PCP? Are you confident that if you need assistance, it will be forthcoming?

If not, use or adapt the text below and send it to your line manager. Contact your local PCS rep urgently for assistance (click here to contact PCS Home Office Merseyside Branch reps). It may not be a reasonable management request to require you to undertake work for which you have not received adequate training.

Health & Safety

Are you concerned about the requirement to work in an environment that you believe may not be Covid-safe? Are you being required or expected to travel a long distance from your home station to Heathrow in a car or other transport, within a confined space and with several colleagues? Are you concerned that your travel is not necessary during a period of lockdown due to the pandemic?

If so, don’t hesitate to contact a PCS rep (click here to contact PCS Home Office Merseyside Branch reps). We believe that the Health & Welfare of staff is of paramount importance; and legislation is there to protect staff who have valid concerns about carrying out certain Departmental roles in the current environment.

Recommended text

If you are asked to cover the Heathrow PCP copy and paste this email template, fill in the gaps and send it to your manager:

"I am writing requesting that the employer write to me explaining why they consider it a “reasonable management instruction” to undertake this task. I do not agree to this and if forced I will be working under protest.

Given that the employer is compelling me to undertake this task, can you please advise me of the following in writing:

• what specifically and in detail the employer requires me to do;

• what training the employer will be providing to me before I commence this work

• whether I will be exempt from formal disciplinary action should I make a mistake due to lack of training

• where it says that I am obliged to do this in my statement of particulars, contract of employment or job description

• what the exact consequences are of me not participating in this work

• where it states in both the Home Office Covid guidance and current Government Covid legislation and guidance that I can be compelled to travel from my usual place of work to another place of work (many miles away);

• confirmation that the employer is not doing anything unlawful, or asking me to do anything unlawful, in asking me to follow this instruction.

I will await your response in full before agreeing to undertake the work requested, as I believe that it is unreasonable to make me do so without the full information.

I look forward to your response."

Let us know

Copy the PCS Home Office Group office at homeoffice@pcs.org.uk into your email so we can track how many members are being asked, against their will, to cover work at Heathrow during the industrial action. You can also send messages of support to that email address.

Don't let your colleagues down

Simply put, don't help management break the strike. Your colleagues at Heathrow Airport are not taking strike action lightly. Support them by not volunteering to do their job while they are taking industrial action.

Click here to find out more on the PCS national website.