In the UK, passport workers who are members of the Public and Commercial Services union have begun a five-week long strike over an ongoing dispute regarding pay and work conditions. As a result, the demand for passports has risen in anticipation of this strike, and large delays with the applications and deliveries of passports are expected to continue into the summer months. One fourth of passport workers will be participating in the strike, as workers are frustrated by the government's refusal to raise wages or engage in labor talks with the union. Similar to many other recent labor actions in the UK, these workers have expressed being motivated by the financial struggles associated with the rising costs of living.
See "Passport workers in the UK begin five-week long strike, demanding pay raises to mitigate inflationary pressures and rising costs of living ", Michael Race, BBC News, April 3, 2023