PCS MEMBERS VIEWS HEADLINE NEWS
Home Office tried to gag border survey
- Major response to PCS border force survey
- Home Office attempt to stop results being published
- ITV news headlines special report revealing findings and criticism over job cuts and mismanagement
On Thursday evening (4th December) PCS members’ experiences of the conditions of working within UK Border Force was the headline news item as a special investigation aired on ITV news reported on our survey findings.
This joint survey with ITV News which had nearly 500 responses enabled us to present our members experiences to give a true picture of what it is like working in the Border Force.
We want to thank all members who participated in this survey.
The story in full can be found on the PCS website which also has a link to the ITV special report.
In a cynical move the Home Office attempted to gag us from releasing the results of the survey and went to the high court to get an injunction against our union.
However we were able to secure a consent order to release information.
Responses showed PCS members were highly critical of the Home Secretaries mandate to Border Force to check 100% of passengers at major airports when there is a lower level of mandate checks for goods, meaning that not all goods entering the country are checked.
The culmination of the merger of Immigration and Customs; a mandate to check 100% of passports and jobs cuts at a time of increased traffic through UK borders has led to a chronic staffing situation within the UK Border Force leading to insufficient customs checks being carried out, staff morale at an all time low and a growing bullying culture.
We have seen a reduction in Border Force staff of 6% between April 2010 and March 2012 as hundreds of staff where encouraged to take redundancy packages which has left our borders woefully short staffed – which is further compounded by the current blanket recruitment freeze. Our survey has demonstrated government mismanagement has resulted in grave and costly mistakes leading and a terrible waste of public finances.
Branch Secretaries have been sent fuller details of the results of the survey. If you want a copy along with a selection of comments made by staff – that gives a true picture of how Border Force is being run – with the experience from our members on the ground and what they face day-to-day, this can be requested from your local rep.
The headline results of the survey show:
- 94.8% believed that there were not adequate resources to ensure that all necessary checks are carried out.
- 98.1% responded there are not adequate staff to check goods vehicles and freight for illegal substances and stowaways
- 65.9% indicated that they has personally been removed from customs’ checks to perform primary passport checks resulting in a shortage of staff on customs
- Of those 80.5% indicated that this happened often i.e. daily or weekly
- 84.1% felt unable to check freight or vehicles for illegal goods and illegal people due to a lack of resources
- With a mandatory instruction from the Home Secretary that 100% of passports need to be checked there were still 47.6% of respondents who indicated that they felt unable to carry out full passport checks as a result of staff shortages.
PCS have been raising the problems within Border Force due to a lack of resources for members to perform their full range of duties with the Home Office. This survey and the ITV report have exposed this and now they need to act.
We need to keep up the pressure so get behind the PCS campaign for more jobs and better conditions in Border Force.
Encourage colleagues to join PCS now.
Together we are stronger and we can bring about a better equipped and better resourced Border Force.
If you require this publication in any other format, please contact the Bargaining Group Office on 020-7801 2625 or email id1homesector@pcs.org.uk and this service can be arranged for you.
Mike Jones
Group Secretary
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