Employees at Belfast-based missile producer Thales have voted in favour of strike motion in a dispute over pay.
Trade union Unite mentioned it is members voted in an industrial poll with a 77.5% majority in pursuit of improved pay.
The union referred to as an administration to fulfill in full its members’ pay declare for an ‘inflation-plus-one-percent’ enhance of 8.1% primarily based on the then-retail value index, submitted in January, for the yr.
A spokesperson for the union mentioned administration have to this point supplied a 5% pay enhance plus a non-consolidated one-off cost of £500.
The positioning employs a workforce of 600.
Normal secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, challenged Thales to answer the pay expectations of its Belfast workforce.
She mentioned: “The success of Thales in Northern Eire has been trumpeted broadly by the Tory authorities – certainly it was lately visited by a authorities minister.
“Employees at Thales deserve higher. This can be a massively profitable enterprise which might afford to pay out a correct pay enhance assembly our members’ pay declare in full. Employees at Thales can rely on the complete help of Unite in securing that end result.”
Unite Regional Coordinating Officer Susan Fitzgerald is lead official for the workforce at Thales. She mentioned: “Thales turns significantly greater than a billion in income yearly and people income are set to extend even additional.
"Final yr, the corporate raised dividends by 45 % however employees are being supplied a mere 5 % as an alternative of the 8.1 % pay declare they submitted originally of this yr.
"Our members have offered this union with a strong mandate for strike motion; within the absence of any motion from the employer employees will probably be left with no various however to take their dispute to the picket line.”
In an announcement, an organization spokesperson mentioned: “Thales recognises trades unions and values the function they play.
"We have now been participating with our Belfast web site and regional representatives for Unite the Union because the begin of 2022 round pay however, sadly, regardless of various affords and discussions, now we have been unable to achieve an settlement.
“Following a poll, Unite members on the web site have voted to take industrial motion. We're ready to be formally instructed what kind this can take and when.
“Thales will proceed to interact with Union representatives in good religion to look to resolve this as rapidly as attainable.”