Employees at Leonardo have voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of an industrial action following the company’s refusal to raise its pay offer.
In September 2025, nearly 3,000 Leonardo workers across the UK, represented by trade union Unite, rejected the pay rise proposal by the defence and aerospace firm and cast ballots for strike actions.
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Union workers across Leonardo’s sites in Yeovil, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Luton, and Basildon, have rejected a 3.2% pay increase proposed by the employer, which they consider a real-terms pay cut given current inflation rates.
The ballot results showed a significant majority supporting strike action.
The strike is expected to take place later this autumn unless their demands for an improved pay offer are met.
Unite regional officer Carrie Binnie said: “This strike is entirely the making of Leonardo and its refusal to improve its pay offer. And it can fix it with the stroke of a pen.
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By GlobalData“Unite remains ready to return to negotiations but only if Leonardo management are prepared to come up with an offer worth listening to. Our members will not accept a real-terms pay cut for their hard work and loyalty.”
Leonardo, headquartered in Italy, operates as one of the top manufacturers in the global defence industry, with revenues nearing €18bn and profits exceeding €1.5bn in 2024.
The company specialises in producing helicopters, aircraft, aerospace components, electronics, and cybersecurity solutions.
Leonardo has nine main sites across the UK, a BBC report said.
The announcement of the looming strike comes amid growing tensions within the UK’s aerospace sector over pay disputes.
In September 2025, more than 5,000 Unite members at BAE Systems’ facilities in Lancashire were considering industrial action after rejecting a pay offer from their employer.
