Border Force staff who work on boats patrolling UK waters including the English Channel will take strike action next week in a dispute over “frozen” allowances and terms and conditions.
More than 120 Border Force Maritime workers will walk out on Friday 14 November, PCS has announced.
It comes after 96% of the union's Border Force Maritime members backed strike action last month on a turnout of 80%.
PCS said its members carry out "dangerous, complex, demanding and sometimes harrowing" work, including patrolling for smuggling or unauthorised entry into the UK, boarding vessels for inspection, rapid response to incidents at sea, including small boats crossings, and working with Special Forces on counter-terrorism, piracy, and narcotics operations.
But it said concerns over the variety of rates and allowances for staff who perform the same roles have been left unaddressed for "too long".
The union said the Home Office began a review six years ago to address the need for standardisation but "despite lengthy talks, members’ concerns have not been addressed and formal proposals deadlines have been repeatedly missed".
PCS said the Home Office has proposed moving to an annualised hours allowance, which compensates employees for working irregular and demanding shift patterns. The union said this "offers some standardisation" but "needs adaptation to properly account for the complexity of these employees’ roles".
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of PCS, said: “Our dedicated members in Border Force Maritime have waited far too long for fair recognition of the vital and dangerous work they do. This strike sends a clear message to the Home Office: we will not accept continued delays and inadequate proposals. We stand ready to escalate if necessary.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Border Force work tirelessly to keep our borders safe and secure. We will continue our talks with the union to resolve this dispute.
“We always have robust plans in place to minimise disruption and uphold UK border security, and that remains unchanged.”