To tell you that Passport Office staff will strike for 5 weeks?

[Workyworky]

I support them.

Just thought I'd let people know to get their applications in ASAP.

We got about 5% last year and people on lower salaries got a one-off cost of living payment as well. Same for DH.

I have a close friend who got 13.5% in two increments in private manufacturing (there is a Union present). 10.5% was across the board to account for inflation, 3% on top she negotiated at her performance review.
That's anecdotal but I think the stats show an average of 7% across the private sector last year.

I was wondering too!

I don’t support them. They were so horribly incompetent the last times I renewed passports and caused endless stress.

Their unmanageable workload has only arisen because they’ve been fucking about at home for 3 years playing Call of Duty.

I don’t know what their remuneration package is except as a public sector body it’ll likely be 40% higher than people in private sector on similar jobs.

Are you joking? It's because of the incompetent system they are striking. Not just for fun!

Nope. Disgusted. Don't mind anyone striking. For a day or 2. Till management come to the table to negotiate. but to start off and announce that you're going to be striking for five weeks from the off is simply disgraceful, and what their pay, conditions or what they are striking about is irrelevant to me in this argument.

The irony that the OP is worried about their “unmanageable workload”

and yet urging mumsnetters to get their applications in asap before the strike 😂

I don't support the strike at all. If they think they aren't being paid enough, or their workload is too heavy, quit and try your luck in the private sector. They were utterly taking the piss during covid. Honestly I'd just sack them and take on new staff, there'll be a backlog either way so you might as well get rid of the dead wood and find staff who are happy to work for a living.

Is this going to stop the relentless stream of posts from disorganised Mumsnetters we get every year squealing ‘Help, little Whatsit’s passport has unexpectedly expired and we have a six week tour of the Pacific islands booked next month’ ?
If so, that’ll be a pleasant consequence.

It's but 6 months ahead you need to apply - it's even longer depending on where you want to travel to. Some counties ask for you to have 3-6 months remaining in your passport. If it's going to take weeks to get a passport you need to send off for a new one 9-12 months in advance potentially, meaning you only really get 9-9.5 years full validity.

I worked with them as a large supplier for many years. They were truly the most incompetent government dept I ever came across. Covid gave them the ideal excuse to ‘wfh’ and then decided to try and stay at home after the restrictions were lifted doing very little and blaming covid, the processes and Uncle Tom Cobley.

I also never got to the bottom of how on earth they were managing to process what is a very sensitive document from effectively their kitchen table or spare room.

Yes I did mention six months ahead.

What do you suggest other countries do about their entry regulations, change them just to suit dizzy dissorganised entitled Brits?

With proper software they can work anywhere. I think all that is required is a valid application, the details of which are uploaded to a secure software package and the template is sent to the printers at the touch of a button. All automated.

That's my guess anyway.

There have been a few comments on here about the action only affecting those who are "wealthy enough to afford foreign holidays". Do I have to state the obvious?

They will pay into a union who then pays them a percentage of the wage like bus drivers when they went on strike.

I was thinking the same

I presume passport workers didn’t make individual decisions to wfh etc. There must have been spectacularly poor decision-making by management to cause these issues. Why are their names not being put out there and why have they got away with this for so long.

I am a bit embarrassed that I didn’t realise passport processing was a public sector role. Of course it is!

It has been rumbling for ages, this is not the start

Private sector here, 2% payrises each year, only a handful of years with less. This year they gave 3-4% payrises and a one off payment of £500 to help with the cost of living. Any when I say payrises it’s within your hand, if your top of your band you get 0%

Starting salaries use to be 20k but recently increased these to 25k as struggling to attract candidates.

With over 10 years experience my salary I’d comparable with friends who are teachers. Pension is expected to be 14k a year with lump sum of 60-80k.

Have you heard of Citizencard? It's an official UK ID card that's recognised by the Home Office. That might help you..

So what happens to the passports that are returned as part of the application? Surely they have to be dealt with at a passport office.

Hopefully this improves the process, some of the checks they have been doing recently are ridiculous and must be increasing the work load.
holidays are one thing but some people need their passports to go visit dying/seriously ill relatives or attend funerals etc. The disruption for these people could have a massive impact so I hope they managed to sort it out soon.

You don’t know that it won’t affect the quality of life of anyone. Not everyone travels for holiday purposes. It could prevent people from getting to seriously ill relatives.

you can put as many reminders in your calendar as you want but if you are without a passport for a long time it could cause severe stress to people who may need to travel to relatives at any point.

Off topic but regarding your ID you can have a provisional licence if you don’t drive and it’s valid for 10 years. Not ideal having to pay £35ish though but I’d rather carry a licence than my passport around with me.