New ownership at MoD Donnington could create more jobs, says MP

But Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who is opposing impending strike action at the Telford base, said he would also fight to ensure any existing terms and conditions were honoured by whoever won the bid.

Defence Support Group workers at the base have voted for strike action in a dispute over pay.

Nationally, more than 800 members of Unite, the country's largest union, voted by 75 per cent for strike action, at a date yet to be confirmed, and by 85 per cent for action short of a strike.

Workers of the Defence Support Group (DSG), who make, repair and maintain military and land equipment for the Ministry of Defence, decided to put down their tools over pay in the run-up to the group being sold off to the private sector next year.

They are seeking an eight per cent pay rise for 2014.

Mr Pritchard said: "I believe any new ownership will deliver more jobs not less jobs.

"I don't support the strike action but I do support existing terms and conditions being honoured by the eventual winners of the bid."

The Telford base is currently aiming to become the site of the MoD's logistics hub.

The base, if chosen as the location for a flagship centre for supplying kit to the Armed Forces, would see 1,000 local jobs safeguarded and 700 new roles in the supply chain, potentially boosting the borough's economy by £60 million a year.

Mr Pritchard, has criticised the ballot, saying any strike action could put the potential deal in jeopardy.

DSG employs about 400 workers at the Donnington site, near Telford, which is competing with Bicester in Oxfordshire to be the sole logistics base.

But union representatives say that the ballot of Defence Support Group workers is on national issues and should have no impact on the bid to bring the hub to Donnington.

Mr Pritchard said although DSG had nearly 900 employees, only about 350 were members of Unite.

He said the strike turnout was only 50 per cent of members and added Bicester would not strike because it had a more moderate GMB Union

MoD workers had already rejected by a majority of 85 per cent in a consultative ballot the management's one per cent pay offer for 2014.

The other main DSG sites include Bovington in Dorset, Catterick in North Yorkshire, Colchester, and Stirling and Warminster in Wiltshire.