Border Force staff at Gatwick Airport and the Port of Newhaven to strike over Christmas in row over pay

The union confirmed that its members working at Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester airports, as well as the Port of Newhaven, will strike between Friday, December 23 and New Year’s Eve.

Around 1,000 Border Force workers are expected to strike during the eight days of industrial action.

The officers taking action will be those who check passports for those arriving in the UK.

The Public and Commercial Services union said they were striking due to rows with the government over pay, the threat of job cuts and pension rules.

The union added that 86 per cent of its 100,000 members across 124 government departments and public sector employers voted in favour of strike action.

Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This is a crisis. We have tried for months to negotiate with the government and we have been ignored.

"We keep being told the government has an open door, but there is no point the door being open if there is nothing behind that door.

"The public sector have no option other than to take industrial action because our members currently are skipping meals, not being able to put the heating on at home because of the poverty they are living in.

"Some sections of the media have accused us of playing politics with these strikes. Let me be clear: our dispute is with the employer.

"We will fight to improve our members' pay, terms and conditions regardless of who is in Downing Street."