Army to cover striking Border Force personnel in Suella Braverman's 'desperate' plan

Hundreds of armed forces set to be conscripted at ports and airports after 100,000 civil servants vote to strike over wages and pensions, including in border forces

People queuing for border controls at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 (

Image: SplashNews.com)

Suella Braverman has been accused of 'desperately breaking the strike' over plans to militarily cover striking Border Force officers.

The Home Secretary reportedly asked hundreds of members of the armed forces to return to ports and airports after Border Force workers backed a walkout over wages and pensions.

According to The Guardian, staff will receive less than a week of training to work at Dover ferry port and Heathrow airport, compared to at least three weeks for a border guard.

Training will begin within weeks, Whitehall sources told his newspaper, after members of the Public and Commercial Services Union from 126 government areas backed strikes.

The union has warned it will accept a “sustained program of industrial action” unless “substantial proposals” are received by the government by next Friday.

Soldiers patrolling outside Parliament after a terrorist attack in 2017 (

Picture:

AFP/Getty Images)

Former Defense Secretary John Spellar told the Mirror he met resistance when he tried to call in the military to tackle the fuel protests under Tony Blair.< /p>

The Labor MP added: 'They really don't like being involved in industrial disputes.

"They are also being used willy-nilly in ways they should not be, especially when their numbers have been reduced and there is a major security situation in Europe.

"If they have spare troops, they should send them to Estonia."

The general secretary of the PCS, Mark Serwotka, said: "It is pure desperation on the part of