Employees at a UK weapons plant supplying missiles to Ukraine are planning to start a two-week strike over pay.
They accused the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of reneging on commitments to meaningful negotiations.
The GMB trade union said nearly 50 workers would strike on Monday, September 11.
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They handle Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles produced at an MoD munitions facility in Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland.
The strike is a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between GMB members at Beith and the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) agency.
DE&S is an MoD entity overseeing military supplies and equipment – concerning wages and bonuses.
Those who handle, load, and transport the missiles claim to earn up to £18,000 less per annum than the specialist staff who assemble them.
These skilled “craft” employees had received pay and bonus enhancements to prevent them from leaving for higher-paying private sector positions.
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GMB’s campaign for improved pay garnered support from trade union leaders, opposition politicians in Ukraine, and the Scottish National Party.
Craft workers at the plant reportedly signed a petition backing the wage demands of their non-craft colleagues.
The MoD said it had contingency plans to minimise disruptions.
It emphasized that the strike would not impact missile deliveries to Ukraine.
MoD could offer better deal
In August, the MoD hinted at the possibility of offering a better deal during Acas-mediated negotiations.
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The MoD said: “We are referring this dispute to Acas’s conciliation service, which will help us explore potential opportunities that we can agree on to find a resolution.
“This is a voluntary process and is a clear measure of our willingness and intent to engage constructively and productively with GMB to resolve this issue.”
However, GMB representatives claim the talks were conducted in bad faith and did not yield a substantive offer.
Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland’s secretary, said: “Everyone brings different skills to their work and that should be recognised but the role of our members is fundamental to the effective operation of this important site.
“They are only asking for fairness and the support they have received from Scotland to Ukraine shows why they deserve it.”
