Workers at a factory in Gloucestershire are planning to go on strike following a dispute over pay.
Employees of Dowty Propellers - a subsidiary of engineering giant GE Aviation Systems - have rejected a two-year pay offer by the company of 4.5%, saying it does not match inflation levels.
Economists expect the cost of living - or the consumer price index - to rise from 5.5% in January to nearly 8% by April.
The 90-plus workers are based at the company’s factory in Hurricane Road, Gloucester, where Dowty manufactures propeller systems. Its products are used in civilian and military aircraft, including for the RAF and US airforce, as well as hovercrafts.
The first strike will take place on Friday, March 4, with further strikes scheduled every Friday until May 20, union Unite said.
Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, said the union had given GE Aviation “every opportunity” to avoid strike action and claimed the company had refused to make what she described as a “fair pay offer”.
“Our members have made it clear that they will accept nothing less than a proper pay rise and they have Unite’s full support in this fight,” she said. “GE Aviation has got to get real – it’s time to table a serious offer.”
The workers voted for strike action in November last year but Unite delayed announcing it in an attempt to resolve the dispute through negotiations, it said.
GE Aviation is a part of the multinational corporation General Electric.
Unite regional officer Matt Allen said the action would cause “considerable disruption” to GE Aviations client base - but added that it was a “last resort”.
“Unite has made every attempt to resolve the dispute through negotiation but the company has been totally unprepared to make an offer which meets workers’ aspirations,” he said.
“Even at this late stage strikes could be avoided if the company makes an improved offer which meets members’ expectations and returns to the negotiating table.”
GE Aviation has been contacted for comment.
