Strikes loom at Newcastle company as workers vote to walk out over pay
Workers at the Newcastle base of a defence and aerospace manufacturer have voted for strike action.
Nearly 3,000 members of the Unite union are demanding Leonardo return to the negotiating table and makes an improved pay offer.
Unite The Union claims workers voted overwhelmingly for strike action which will take place later this autumn unless Leonardo meets their demands.
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, return to the negotiating table and make an improved offer our members can accept. Otherwise they will see their workers on the picket line and their factories shutdown."
A Leonardo spokesperson said: “Our focus remains on offering a fair and competitive package to our employees and the proposed pay deal has the potential to pay employees 9.2% over the course of the two year pay deal, representing a package of fixed and variable pay.
“We regularly benchmark our pay and benefits against industry standards to ensure they are appropriate. While we stand by the competitiveness of our current offer, we continue to engage in open dialogue with Unite to find a constructive path forward.”
The brand has sites in Yeovil, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Luton and Basildon, with all four sites voting in favour of taking strike action.