Passport workers have begun a three-day strike in protest over pay and office closures.

Around 3,000 Identity and Passport Service (IPS) workers, who are members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), began a three-day strike today, 23 July, over pay caps and office closures – causing chaos for holidaymakers during one of the busiest periods of the year.

Staff are protesting over the recent below-inflation pay offer of 2.5%, the closure of the Glasgow passport processing office which has resulted in the loss of 100 jobs, and the prospect of further office closures which would reduce passport processing capacity by over a half.

The strike, which will bring passport application processing and passport interviews to a halt, also further exacerbates the Union’s fears that resources are being diverted from passport offices in order to pave the way for controversial national ID cards.

Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary, defended the strike action and commented on the workers’ anger towards the government: “With food, fuel and housing cost soaring, the government’s policy of below inflation pay has further incensed a workforce uncertain about their future but passionate about the service they provide.”

Along with strikes at 68 passport interview offices, the seven regional passport offices that are affected by the strike are: London, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Peterborough, Newport and Durham. Four of these offices could also potentially be closed down in the future.

Other recent strikes include industrial action by over 500,000 members of UNISON and Unite, two of the UK’s biggest public sector and manufacturing unions, who recently staged a two-day strike in protest of below-inflation pay offers.