Workers at Leonardo Yeovil site balloted for strike action
The Unite Union say thousands of workers at sites across the UK have been balloted for industrial action after rejecting a pay offer
Workers at a defence and aerospace company in Yeovil could take strike action in a dispute over pay.
The Unite union announced today (September 18) that nearly three thousands of workers at Leonardo sites sites across the UK including in Yeovil, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Luton and Basildon have been balloted for industrial action.
Unite said workers had rejected a pay offer of 3.2 per cent from Lenonardo and a successful ballot will see workers head to the picket line and factories shutdown.
Leonardo is one of the largest defence companies in the world and makes defence industry equipment including helicopters, aircraft, aerospace parts, electronics and cybersecurity.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our members are highly skilled and work on critical defence and aerospace systems yet are being short-changed by a company making billions.
"Leonardo needs to do the right thing, come back to the negotiating table and make an improved offer our members can accept."
Unite national officer for aerospace Rhys McCarthy added: "Leonardo is incredibly wealthy and makes billions from UK government contracts. It is entirely unacceptable that it sees fit to make a poor pay offer to a highly skilled and valuable workforce.
"Unite is making it clear that unless Leonardo quickly returns to the negotiating table with an improved offer, they will see the anger of their workforce on the picket line."
The ballot runs until early October.
Leonardo have been approached for a comment.