"We'll bring BAE to it's knees" - 'Furious' staff escalate strike action in Lancashire after High Court drama
Workers at BAE Systems factories in Lancashire are escalating their strike action over pay following a dramatic victory in the High Court last week.
More than 5,200 Unite members voted in a strike ballot over a poor pay offer from the company, but BAE chose to take the union to court and seek an injunction. Unite won the case, meaning initial stikes went ahead last week.
Now, following a refusal by BAE management to negotiate, it has imposed a pay increase that has been rejected by an overwhelming number of members several times. As a result, a select group of workers are taking further strike action that will see more production lines at Warton and Salmesbury grind to halt.
Strike action will now take place from November 26 until December 17, dependent on exact worker designation and shift patterns.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “BAE’s antics in court last week has further infuriated workers who were already angry at the real-terms pay cut that the company is imposing. This is appalling behaviour from a billion-pound company currently making record profits. Unite will not stand for such greed and our members will now be bringing BAE to its knees between now and Christmas.”
Unite say that in 2024 BAE Systems made over £3 billion in profits, up from £2.7 billion the year before. It pays its CEO over £11 million per year, “so can easily afford to offer a pay award that takes into account the cost of living crisis”. They also claim it’s most recent trading statement shows that BAE shareholders will receive £1.5bn in dividends in 2025.
Workers were offered 3.6 per cent, which is below the rate of inflation, and represents a real-terms pay cut. The union say that staff who work within the professional services areas of BAE including aerospace engineers are furious that this is also below a pay offer made and accepted by BAE Systems shop floor colleagues, who received 4.5 per cent and an additional day of annual leave.
“Huge tactical error”
Unite regional officer Ross Quinn said: “BAE has made a huge tactical error in attempting to block our members taking strike action in court and now imposing a pay deal on them. It has simply entrenched their anger, and they are now gearing up for sustained industrial action that will bring Warton and Samlesbury to a standstill. BAE needs to rapidly rethink its handling of this dispute and start using some of its huge profits to pay our members what they deserve.”
In addition to strike action all balloted members of Unite at BAE Warton and Samlesbury sites will cease working overtime, no longer travel off-site, cease any additional training and withdraw from any voluntary roles.