Aerospace workers set to strike over pay

About 200 workers at a Leicester-based aerospace firm are set to take continuous strike action in a pay dispute.

Members of trade union Unite, who are employed at SPS Technologies Ltd, have turned down a two-year pay offer of 4% this year and another 4% next year, which the union says is because "they don't believe this goes far enough to address years of low pay offers".

The union said it was the third consecutive year its members had balloted for industrial action, with strikes beginning from Friday.

SPS Technologies has been approached for comment.

Members involved in the dispute work in manufacturing parts for the aerospace and defence industries, which includes a range of specialist bolts, nuts, pins and screws.

Unite said the pay offer to SPS Technologies workers was less than offers made to other workers in the East Midlands employed by Precision Castparts Corp (PCC), an American manufacturing company.

It also claims SPS Technologies is "trying to impose changes to workers' conditions", such as removing emergency holidays and changing the absence policy for some staff.

Regional officer Lee Purslow said: "Strike action will be very disruptive for SPS Technologies' customers, especially given the fact this is industrial action without an end date.

"There is still time to resolve this, but it relies on SPS Technologies management coming back to the table with an offer that is fair for our members."

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