15 November 2021

Naval base workers in Scotland to take industrial action

15 November 2021

Employees at a nuclear naval base in Scotland are to take industrial action, a union said.

Unite Scotland said around 70% of its members who provide specialist services for the UK’s deterrent submarines will start an overtime ban – a mass refusal to work overtime – at RNAD Coulport nuclear naval base in Argyll and Bute.

Members said that due to the specialist nature of the services provided, industrial action could potentially “cripple” the effective running of operations at the naval base.

The Unite membership involved in the dispute are employed by the ABL Alliance – a co-operation between businesses AWE, Babcock Marine (Clyde Ltd) and Lockheed Martin UK Strategic Systems.

Our members will have our full support in their battle for justice in the workplace

The three companies provide engineering, maintenance and other services at RNAD Coulport.

The union has heavily criticised the ABL Alliance for its “delay tactics” after 90.5% of its members at RNAD Coulport voted yes in support of strike action.

Unite also said the employers have refused to meet the union’s RPI inflation pay claim (3.8%).

ABL Alliance was awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide services for the weapon system at Coulport, as well as the Strategic Weapon Support Building (SWSB) Faslane.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members at (RNAD) Coulport have been left with no option but to take industrial action.

“The attitude adopted by the ABL Alliance has been disingenuous and they have deliberately frustrated the process in an effort to prevent our members getting a decent and fair pay. Our members will have our full support in their battle for justice in the workplace.”

Stevie Deans, Unite regional co-ordinator, said: “The ABL Alliance employers have continued to use delay tactics over six weeks since our members voted for industrial action.

“Instead of using this period to find a positive resolution to the dispute, the ABL Alliance have dangled the promise of new offers in front of our members, and then blamed other parties including the Treasury for absolutely nothing concrete coming forward.

“It’s part of a charade to spin this out and our members won’t tolerate this anymore. A continuous overtime ban is now set to start, and if this doesn’t knock some sense into the companies then all options remain on the table for us, including strike action.”

A spokesperson for AWE said: “Unfortunately, at this time the ABL Alliance (AWE plc, Babcock Marine (Clyde) Ltd, and Lockheed Martin UK Strategic Systems Ltd) has been unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with Unite Scotland.

“We continue to keep dialogue open with the Union and in the interim, measures to mitigate the impact of industrial action are being implemented. We are working closely with the Ministry of Defence to support continued safe operations at RNAD Coulport.”

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