THOUSANDS of staff at the Home Office, including airport immigration workers, have voted to go on strike over jobs, pay and other issues, raising the threat of industrial action hitting the Olympic Games.

The Public and Commercial Services union said 57% of its members had backed a campaign of action in protest at cuts.

Union leaders will meet today to decide their next move, which could include a walkout at border controls at ports and airports, including Heathrow, as well as other forms of industrial action, such as a ban on overtime. The union could also decide on new tactics, including targeting departments such as the Criminal Records Bureau or Passport Office.

Any strike just before the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 27 could have a big impact on people travelling to the UK to watch the event, the union believes.

Officials said a work-torule and overtime ban could have a big impact on border controls and in passport offices. The union is in dispute with the Home Office on several issues, including plans to cut 8,500 jobs and the threat of compulsory redundancies in the passport office in Newport, South Wales. Also of concern is a 1% pay rise cap following a two-year wage freeze and the privatisation of services.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "I ask the union to call off this irresponsible proposed strike. "A decision to strike is completely unacceptable and we believe the public will have no sympathy with the union's decision.

"Only about one in 10 union members voted for strike action.

"The union leadership has no authority to call disruptive strikes on that basis and should think again."

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