Passport staff in strike action

Passport office staff will strike for three days

Workers at the Belfast Passport Office are taking part in a three-day national strike over jobs fears.

The Passport Service said all booked interviews for Wednesday would go ahead, and customers have using the Belfast office.

Stephen Farrelly of the PCS Union said management had worked to try to minimise the impact of the strike.

"I think you haven't seen what happened on Monday and Tuesday, when there were queues outside the door," he said.

"Management made sure urgent applications were dealt with on Monday and Tuesday. We are witnessing a very small number of the general public crossing to get applications processed."

Services at the Passport Office in Belfast will also be disrupted on Thursday and Friday of this week.

The move is the latest in the continuing wave of strikes over the government's policy of capping public sector pay below the rate of inflation.

An Identity and Passport Service spokesperson said they would "strive to maintain a service".

"All IPS regional office counters will remain open and we are able to issue passports for those in emergency situations or with urgent needs," the spokesperson said.

"Any customer who has booked for premium services or an interview will have the appointment honoured. Customers needing further advice are requested to call the Passport Advice Line on 0870 521 0410."

A two-day strike by council workers closed leisure centres and libraries and stopped rubbish collections last week and Coastguard staff staged a two-day strike at the weekend.