Passport warning as holidaymakers issued urgent new guidance as strike begins

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Holidaymakers seeking to renew a passport for summer have been issued new guidance after a five-week strike kicked off today.

Passport office workers in Scotland, England and Wales will walk out until May 6, 2023 - meaning those hoping to get a passport in time for a summer could be affected.More than 1,000 members of the Public Commercial Services (PCS) union in Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport walked out on Monday, April 1.

Strike action is due to an "escalation" over disputes for civil service workers concerning pay, conditions and redundancy terms.In response, the Home Office issued an online statement on Friday to reassure applicants that they are not extending their 10-week time frame - which should be allotted after submitting all documents.However, those looking to travel this summer are being urged not to make plans until they receive their new passport.A statement on the Home Office site said: "We advise all customers not to book travel without a passport that meets their travel needs."The website also states: "Processing time guidance is provided to help ensure that people allow sufficient time to get their passport.

There are no plans to change this guidance in response to the industrial action.""If you do not need a passport for travel within 10 weeks, we strongly advise to continue using the standard service."Among demands, union bosses are fighting for a 10 per cent pay rise to equal a living wage of at least £15 an hour.