The union for nuclear workers, GMB, has today announced its plan to initiate a strike ballot over the £660m broken promises pension cuts for nuclear workers.

Following a meeting of nuclear industry unions GMB, Unite, Prospect and Aslef today, 9 January 2017, it was agreed that a strike ballot is necessary to protect thousands of nuclear workers’ pensions.

At present, 16,000 workers will be affected by the “broken promises” from 19 sites in Anglesey, Ayrshire, Caithness, Cumbria, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Gwynedd, Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Suffolk.

The strike committee are to set a timetable for the ballot and expect the first strike to take place in February or March.

The government has predicted that the final salary pensions across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will be reformed by April 2018.

GMB, Prospect, Unite, ASLEF/TSSA unions issued a joint statement after the meeting stating: “The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) gave as its justification for launching a formal consultation on reform of the pensions of nuclear workers covered by statutory pension protection that 'The Government’s aim is to make public sector pensions fair and to put them on an affordable and sustainable footing'.

"It further stated that '….final salary pension schemes across the NDA estate are within the scope of public sector pension reform'. These statements are misleading and deeply flawed. The pension schemes concerned are not public sector pension schemes and were not within the scope of public sector pension reform."

The unions added that: "Pension provision is already on an 'affordable and sustainable footing. The trade unions are united in their efforts to oppose these unnecessary and unjustified attacks on our members’ pensions.

"We resolve to oppose the imposition of any detrimental changes. In particular we resolve to: Respond robustly to the consultation; correct the misrepresentation of the position by the NDA and the government; Campaign and oppose the proposals politically (including in the anticipated upcoming by-election in Copeland); Examine using the legal process to oppose the imposition of any detrimental changes; each union will consider and develop plans for industrial action.”

GMB national secretary for the Nuclear Sector Justin Bowden, said: “Nuclear workers have played their part in keeping the country's lights on for decades. Senior representatives were unanimous that if this government is determined to break its promises and is not prepared to negotiate, there is no alternative but to ballot members to take strike action.

"GMB remains committed to resolving these issues amicably and available for meaningful talks should the government want to pull back from this shocking episode of broken promises to workers in the nuclear industry."

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