There are fears Heathrow airport could "grind to a halt" when immigration officers go on strike next week over pensions, sources have told the BBC. Heathrow operator BAA has been holding talks with airlines and the UK Border Agency to try to minimise the impact of Wednesday's public sector strike. A source close to the talks said more government action was needed to prevent huge queues at immigration. The Home Office said it was exploring all options to minimise disruption. Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph quoted a Heathrow airport official as saying travellers arriving at the London airport could be held on aircraft for up to 12 hours while immigration queues cleared. On Wednesday it emerged that civil servants are being asked to act as airport border staff during the strike action, which more than two million workers may join. Strikes are being held over changes to public sector pensions and thousands of border agency workers are expected to be among those walking out. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote If [the unions] can't [strike] over an issue as important as their pensions, then what can they take industrial action over?” Alan Johnson Former home secretary BBC transport correspondent Richard Lister said aviation officials were working on the basis that immigration staffing levels would be at a maximum of 30-50%, and that most of those checking passports would have no experience and little training. During the strike in the summer, border agency managers ran passport control but this time they are expected to strike too, our correspondent said. The Home Office is pulling in border agency staff who are not union members and civil servants from Whitehall to carry out immigration checks. In a statement, the department said it was too early to speculate on how many people would join the strike, and that it was exploring all options to minimise disruption.
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