Shropshire defence workers walk out over pay
Defence workers at a Shropshire military base have walked out in a row over pay – but the strike has been described as "ill-timed" by a Shropshire MP.
About 300 workers and Unite union members at Defence Support Group downed their tools in support of the union's claim to an eight per cent pay rise offer.
They are currently being offered a one per cent pay rise but workers on the picket line claimed DSG had made millions of pounds of profits and could "well afford to pay the work force a decent salary".
Workers at MoD Donnington walked out yesterday and were today due to continue their strike action for another 24 hours. Yesterday there were about 40 workers on the picket line at each of the site's south and west gates.
Other Defence Support Group sites across the country joined in the protest. DSG, which makes, repairs and maintains military equipment, is currently a branch of the Ministry of Defence, but could potentially be privatised.
Paul Eagles, a DSG worker who was protesting at MoD Donnington's west gate said: "United members at DSG work on high-tech military equipment to a high standard and our reward year on year been a pay freeze. You can maybe accept that for a year or so but after five years it gets desperate. Our company has been making massive profits and has £67 million in the bank – DSG can well afford to pay the work force a decent salary.
"We are saying enough is enough we want our share and we are really pleased with the support we have received. Across the country DSG sites will take action so they will have to listen.
"Most of the people here are on thousands of pounds below the average earnings. This is a company that has made year on year profits but we have seen increases to our pension contributions over three years. Our members are at the end of their tether."
The action comes in the run-up to the group being sold off to the private sector next year.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, who earlier this week said new ownership at MoD Donnington could create more jobs, said: "I support the transfer of existing terms and conditions to any eventual owner of MoD Donnington but at a time when I am fighting for new jobs at the base, I think the strike is ill-timed."
But Matt Jones, a logistics worker at MoD Donnington, who were not on strike, said he supported the DSG workers' actions. He added the action would not affect a bid to centralise MoD logistics at the site. Telford currently faces competition from Bicester for the contract which would be worth £60 million to the area.
"This is not a dispute around the sale, this is a dispute around pay," he added.
