Govt seeks injunction over PCS strike
The Government is seeking a High Court injunction to block strike action by PCS border staff on the eve of the Olympics, the Home Office has confirmed.
Staff at Heathrow and other airports are due to go on strike on Thursday in a dispute over job cuts, but ministers are challenging the legality of the action on grounds of "procedural errors" in the PCS ballot.
In a statement, the Home Office said: "We want the PCS leadership to call off this irresponsible strike and we continue to ask members not to walk out at a time when the eyes of the world are on the UK."
The union responded by urging ministers to "sit down and talk to us instead of going to the courts", and announced it will hold a press conference at 11am tomorrow.
It emerged earlier that 1,200 more troops will be deployed to police the Olympics, on top of the existing contingent committed. The troops had previously been put on standby by the Government but there had been hopes they might not be required.
Downing Street sources have stressed that there is no specific security threat that has led to the call-up, also insisting that the timing of the announcement was not deliberately set to coincide with the CPS’ announcement on phone hacking charges.
Jeremy Hunt explained the decision today, arguing it is "clear that we should leave nothing to chance"
More concerns were raised yesterday over security firm G4S after a source claimed the company was letting staff cheat on key tests.