Aerospace engineers at BAE Systems in Lancashire, UK are on the brink of industrial action following a dispute over pay.
More than 5,000 members of the Unite union, stationed at Warton and Samlesbury, have rejected the company's latest pay proposal. They argue that the offer falls short of inflation rates and amounts to a real-terms pay reduction.
The offer of a 3.6% pay increase has been deemed inadequate by the workers. They note that their shop floor colleagues were given a 4.5% rise along with an additional day of annual leave.
This disparity has intensified dissatisfaction among the professional staff.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "BAE Systems is one of the world's biggest defence manufacturers and made billions in profit last year. It pays its CEO vast sums and yet sees fit to try and short change our members for the sake of shareholders.
"This is completely unacceptable and Unite will be backing the thousands of aerospace engineers in their dispute until BAE Systems comes to its senses."
The ballot for strike action will commence on 1 October and conclude on 22 October.
Should the vote favour industrial action, strikes could disrupt operations later this autumn.
Unite plans to target specific worker groups whose absence could significantly impact various defence programmes.
Unite regional officer Ross Quinn said: "This dispute is entirely the making of BAE Systems. It needs to come back to the negotiating table with an offer our members can accept otherwise, they will see that anger through targeted action that could impact every contract."
This situation mirrors recent developments at Leonardo, another defence company where its UK employees are also considering strike action after rejecting a proposed pay rise. Nearly 3,000 Leonardo workers represented by Unite are taking part in ballots conducted by the union at several sites across the UK.
According to an independent analysis by Oxford Economics, BAE Systems made a substantial contribution to the UK economy, with its activities estimated to have added £13.7bn to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024.
