People are being warned they could be in for "blackout chaos" after a union balloted members. Around 1,300 workers responsible for repairing, maintaining and administrating the electricity grid for London and the South East and East of England are being asked to vote over potential strike action.
Unite says if members vote to strike then action could begin in March. A decision is expected on Tuesday.
The union said workers, employed by UK Power Networks, are angry that the company, which usually offers an annual wage rise that meets or exceeds RPI inflation, has "put forward a much-reduced pay offer".
It accused the company, owned by Hong Kong conglomerate CK Group, of "rampant profiteering". The company has made profits of £2.4bn since 2019.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "UK Power Networks’ rampant profiteering when people’s homes are freezing due to astronomical energy bills is a perfect illustration of why the UK’s economy is broken. And just because our members work on the power grid doesn’t mean they are exempt from the sky-high electricity bills that have helped plunge the country into crisis.
“Putting forward a pay offer our members could accept would barely make a dent in UK Power Networks’ obscene profits. The company can afford to pay and must do so.”
Unite said the company had put forward a two year pay deal for 2022/23 and 2023/24. They said this includes an "already imposed" seven per cent for the first year and an average of February 2023’s RPI and CPI(h) inflation rates for the second.
The workers voted in a consultative ballot by 98 per cent to reject the deal. They will be balloted for formal industrial action between February 7 and March 7.
Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said: “These workers literally keep the lights on and get them back on when there is a power cut. They do not want to strike but UK Power Networks is quickly closing every other avenue available to them. Disruption caused by any resultant industrial action will be entirely the fault of the company’s own greed."
She added: "The company needs to return to the negotiating table and put forward an acceptable offer.”
UK Power Networks told the Mirror:" We hope to avoid strike action, however we are making plans to ensure our network remains resilient in the event Unite press ahead with strike action."
The company previously said it had offered 18 per cent over the last two years and that they have "long supported our employees."
