Over 500 workers at the Dounreay nuclear power station in the Scottish Highlands are set to go on strike this week in a dispute over pay. Members of the Unite union have voted to take 24-hour strike action on Wednesday and will also participate in an overtime ban starting on Thursday.
The decision to strike comes after Unite rejected a revised pay offer from their employer, Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS). The proposed offer included a one-off £500 payment and a 4.5% increase in basic pay. However, 80% of the 92% turnout rejected the deal, with the union arguing that it would result in a significant real terms pay cut due to high inflation rates.
Unite has scheduled another day of industrial action for May 29 and has stated that they are prepared to add additional strikes if NRS does not make any movement towards a fair resolution. In response to the strike action, NRS expressed disappointment but reiterated their commitment to finding a fair and reasonable solution.
The workers represented by Prospect are expected to accept the offer, while GMB members have voted to support strike action. GMB organizer Lesley-Anne MacAskill has written to Andrew Bowie MP, the minister for nuclear and renewables, urging him to remove NRS from the civil service pay framework. According to MacAskill, the use of the civil service pay remit as an excuse to delay engaging with workers on pay is unacceptable.
In a statement, an NRS spokesperson said that contingency plans are being implemented to ensure the safety, security, and compliance of the site during any period of industrial action. They also expressed their disappointment in the decision to strike but remain committed to finding a fair and affordable resolution.
The Unite workers at Dounreay include craft technicians, general operators, chemical and electrical engineers, maintenance fitters, and safety advisers. Unite industrial officer Marc Jackson stated that the offers made by NRS, which amounted to a significant pay cut, would not be tolerated by the workers. He also warned that the company should not underestimate the determination of the workers to receive the pay rise they deserve.
In other news, three men have been charged with spying for Hong Kong and a teenage burglar who stabbed a woman to death has been sentenced to jail.
