Border officials call off strike on Olympics eveJuly 25, 2012 - 15:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Border officials have called off a strike planned for the day before the London Olympics officially open, their union said on Wednesday, July 25. According to AFP, the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said it had reached an agreement with the Home Office interior ministry on a dispute over jobs. The government had been due to go to court later Wednesday to prevent the strike going ahead. The union announced one week ago that thousands of Home Office staff, including immigration workers at London's Heathrow Airport, the main gateway to the Games, would stage a 24-hour strike on Thursday. The Olympics opening ceremony takes place on Friday. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka told a press conference that 800 new jobs would be created in the border force and 300 in passport offices. "We believe that significant progress means that there is now no case for the union to proceed with industrial action in terms of the one-day strike that was planned," he said. Olympics minister Jeremy Hunt had earlier Wednesday said the government had contingency plans in place and said that fears of problems at the airport after queues at immigration earlier in the year were the "dog that didn't bark". But he urged the border officers to come to work, saying: "For an immigration officer... Thursday is one of the biggest days in their professional career." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |