Leonardo workers set to strike over pay

Carys NallyWest of England

Leonardo A photograph of an AW149 flying. There is a red tail light on and the wheels are down. — The AW149 is one of the helicopters manufactured by Leonardo staff

Members of staff at one of the world’s biggest defence firms are set to strike.

Leonardo, which runs the UK’s only helicopter factory in Somerset, is facing 3,000 members of the union Unite walking out across five of its sites in November.

The company offered staff a two-year rise of 3.2% at the start of October, describing this as “fair”, but members of Unite are demanding the company returns to the negotiating table to make a new pay offer.

A spokesperson for Leonardo said they were “disappointed” with the decision to take industrial action at sites in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Yeovil, Luton and Basildon. They added the company “remained open to continue constructive discussions” with the union.

Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo manufactures defence industry equipment including helicopters, aerospace parts, electronics and cybersecurity technology.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said members were being “short-changed” by the company.

“Leonardo has had ample opportunity to do the right thing and make a decent offer that our members could have accepted.

“Instead they have refused and will now see the anger of our members on the picket line outside their factories,” she said.

Strikes will take place between 5-6 and 12-13 November at factories in Yeovil, Luton and Basildon.

Italian-owned Leonardo runs the UK’s only helicopter factory in Yeovil

The outside of Leonardo factory in Yeovil. In the foreground, a sign reads "Welcome to Leonardo in Yeovil" and another below reads: "The Home of British Helicopters". In the background, a camo helicopter can be seen with the factory behind it. — Italian-owned Leonardo runs the UK’s only helicopter factory in Yeovil

In Edinburgh and Newcastle, industrial action is expected to take place between 5-6 and 10-18 November.

A Leonardo spokesperson said the company was “working with all areas of the business to mitigate any potential disruption to customers”.

“The company has made a very fair and competitive offer that has the potential to pay employees 9.2% over the course of the two year pay deal, representing a package of fixed and variable pay,” they added.

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