STRIKE? REALLY?

[langleybaston]

D Tel quote below, today, shows how good our unserpaid, cheerful, discliplined services are. We knew Border Force was crap, now they reinforce that belief. How about a Border Regiment? Oh!, wait, we had one ........A strike by Border Force staff appeared to be having little impact at airports on Wednesday (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/airport-strikes-border-force-passport-control-travel-disruption/), with many passengers clearing passport control in less than five minutes.

Operations at Heathrow - one of six airports where the strikes (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/22/border-force-strikes-airports-could-close-worst-case-scenario/) are taking place - were “smooth” and “free flowing”, an official said.

“The airport is operating as normal. The immigration halls are free flowing with Border Force and the military contingency providing a good level of service for arriving passengers,” a spokesman said.

[Saintsman]

Whilst I agree that things seem to be going well, I wonder how accurate the checks are?

I can't imagine Border Force recruits are put on the front line with only a few days training. No disrespect to the Troops doing the job, but they have had minimum training and will be doing only what they have been told to do. There is obviously more to it than just checking passports.

Should any undesirables get through, I hope they don't get flak for it, as it is Border Force who should shoulder any blame.

That said, given the circumstances, they are doing a great job. But I think we knew they would. :ok:

[MPN11]

I agree it may not be 100% effective using less-skilled staff, but I suspect a degree of overkill underlayed the BF set-up.

Thank again to UK Mil for keeping the Nation going. :ok:

[mopardave]

D Tel quote below, today, shows how good our unserpaid, cheerful, discliplined services are. We knew Border Force was crap, now they reinforce that belief. How about a Border Regiment? Oh!, wait, we had one ........A strike by Border Force staff appeared to be having little impact at airports on Wednesday (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/airport-strikes-border-force-passport-control-travel-disruption/), with many passengers clearing passport control in less than five minutes.

Operations at Heathrow - one of six airports where the strikes (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/22/border-force-strikes-airports-could-close-worst-case-scenario/) are taking place - were “smooth” and “free flowing”, an official said.

“The airport is operating as normal. The immigration halls are free flowing with Border Force and the military contingency providing a good level of service for arriving passengers,” a spokesman said.
"Border Force".........more like Border Farce. From what I've seen, they do little to enforce our borders.

[DaveReidUK]

"Border Force".........more like Border Farce. From what I've seen, they do little to enforce our borders.

Your experience presumably extends to whether they let you in or not.

How on earth do you manage to generalise from that as to whether or not they manage to keep undesirables out ?

[Old-Duffer]

In 1973 there was a strike by some civilian workers at the RAF supply depot at Carlisle, although an agreement was struck that priority supplies would be managed by some of the small team of uniformed RAF personnel. These would work with other civilians who were not striking and whose pay was based on ‘piece work’ ie how much they did.

I was put on the night shift and worked on a 12 hour shift, receiving demands for priority spares and ensuring these demands were sent for despatch from the stores sites.

The job was a ‘doddle’ and not only did I do the high priority stuff but sorted a lot more lower priority orders – otherwise I might have died of boredom!

After the strike was over and negotiations resumed I found myself to be something of a hate figure, as I proved that there were too many people being paid the nightly rate and the response time was too great and should be reduced – both of which would mean work and pay rates reassessed. However, the non-strikers were happy because they had shifted more ‘pieces’ and hence got more pay!

I used to wonder if that was the reason why my posting was brought forward!!!

Old Duffer

[Ninthace]

"Border Force".........more like Border Farce. From what I've seen, they do little to enforce our borders.
I suspect you have little concept of what the Border Force is actually allowed to do when dealing with migrants and where their responsibilities end and other agencies’ responsibilities begin.

[Asturias56]

"How on earth do you manage to generalise from that as to whether or not they manage to keep undesirables out ?"

We know they aren't doing a very good job at that either

I think what gets under people's skin is the lack of common courtesy for arrivals - everyone is treat like a convicted fellon. It's getting like the USA

[MPN11]

I think what gets under people's skin is the lack of common courtesy for arrivals - everyone is treat like a convicted fellon. It's getting like the USA
I've had better interactions with US Border staff than those at Heathrow. Indeed, some US ones were decidedly friendly and positive.

[dctyke]

Hopefully we will be as good at fire fighting, I see their union boss was flexing his muscles on the news this morning.

[MG]

I've had better interactions with US Border staff than those at Heathrow. Indeed, some US ones were decidedly friendly and positive.
The Border Force staff, at the desks, are usually pretty engaging. It’s the staff at security, running the screening machines who are the surliest, with no sense of how to reduce an ever increasing queue.

[Union Jack]

Your experience presumably extends to whether they let you in or not.

How on earth do you manage to generalise from that as to whether or not they manage to keep undesirables out ?
Seems that they can't keep their own undesirables out, according to https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/29/uk-border-force-official-arrested-immigration-status/

Jack

[bobward]

Think back to 2012, when the military replaced all the contract security people at the London Olympics. That seemed to go pretty well too.

The recent strikes seem to have involved a degree of foot shooting by the unions. The press today reports that, because of the postal strike, ballot papers for the teachers
proposed days of inaction won't get back in time. Little surprise there when the same source reports some Christmas cards won't get delivered until maybe February.

Why is it that large groups of workers seem hell bent on punishing everyone else, at a time when the country is deep in various crises?

As always, sincere thanks to all in the military who are doing their best to UK PLC running.

[mopardave]

Your experience presumably extends to whether they let you in or not.

How on earth do you manage to generalise from that as to whether or not they manage to keep undesirables out ?
Well, they have this annoying habit of making you feel as though you are an "undesirable". I've found U.S. and Australian (to name but two) border staff to be at least in possession of some charisma. Many I've encountered seem to be completely lacking in personality.......it's almost as if they're there under sufferance and we returning travelers are an inconvenience. Recent U.S. and Australian experiences have been the opposite........and also slick and efficient too! As for the FBU leader, I don't know one firefighter who is happy to strike........they'll pay dearly this time.

[mopardave]

Seems that they can't keep their own undesirables out, according to https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/29/uk-border-force-official-arrested-immigration-status/

Jack
My god.......that is dripping with irony! Anyhow........glad to see they acted "quickly"!

[ShyTorque]

When I needed to renew my passport a few years ago I went to the main post office with all the paperwork for their paid for accelerated application service. The chap on the counter said he couldn’t process my application because I had smiled on the photo. I certainly hadn’t. I went back to the photographer and asked for the photo to be redone. He was surprised because in his opinion the photo was fine. I went back to the post office with the second photo and the same chap said again that I was smiling. I told him to process my application this time or I would make a formal complaint. The new passport came back without a problem.

Ironically, I was unlucky enough to go through immigration in USA shortly afterwards it was obvious why no one should be smiling on their passport photo. I was faced with two and a half hour queue to get to a desk and the very aggressive immigration staff. I missed my connecting flight by a very long chalk and I certainly wasn’t smiling by the time I reached the front of the queue.

[langleybaston]

In the context of our military rising competently and predictably to the challemge, this from the Old Contemptibles of 1914:

"We'll do it!"

"what is it you want done?"

[HOVIS]

Why is it that large groups of workers seem hell bent on punishing everyone else, at a time when the country is deep in various crises?
Do you really think they are doing this to punish the public? What will they gain by punishing their customers?
The reasons for these strikes are numerous and varied. In the case of the NHS, its because critical staff are leaving in the thousands. Clapping doesn't pay the bills! Railways, because T & Cs are being hammered. Specifically, the closing down of ALL station ticket offices. For most its the fact they've seen politicians cream off huge benefits through dodgy deals, fraud and corruption. They've seen MPs get massive consecutive pay rises year on year.
​​​​​​​They've had enough, and frankly I can't say I blame em.

[Akrotiri bad boy]

It's no surprise the little guy is out on strike, check out this year's pay rise for barristers....... 15%. The money is there if you push hard enough.

[DaveReidUK]

It's no surprise the little guy is out on strike, check out this year's pay rise for barristers....... 15%. The money is there if you push hard enough.

Yes, the common factor here is that, like nurses and junior doctors, barristers (again, the junior ones, not KCs and the like) are leaving the profession in droves.

One could reasonably argue that in the UK the criminal justice system is as much in crisis as the NHS, albeit it doesn't make the news nearly as often.

[Spunky Monkey]

It's no surprise the little guy is out on strike, check out this year's pay rise for barristers....... 15%. The money is there if you push hard enough.

I think you should read up on why the Barristers got 15%, it is an eye opener as to what they have had to do for so little money.

[Sue Vêtements]

One thing that I think often gets overlooked is that management are also in a union of their own.

They just don't call it a union, yet if you think about it, they set their own pay scales, their own working conditions etc. They don't ever need to strike because they can just give themselves what they want

[Ninthace]

One thing that I think often gets overlooked is that management are also in a union of their own.

They just don't call it a union, yet if you think about it, they set their own pay scales, their own working conditions etc. They don't ever need to strike because they can just give themselves what they want
Don’t the shareholders have a say?

[PPRuNeUser0211]

Why is it that large groups of workers seem hell bent on punishing everyone else, at a time when the country is deep in various crises?


like Hovis said... Pretty sure it's because of a decade and a bit of general mis-management, sub-par pay rises and absolutely skyrocketing inflation literally putting people who are supposed to be respected professionals onto the breadline....