Workers hold further strikes at Sellafield over pay dispute

Sellafield workers are on strike today in a dispute over pay.

The Unite union, which represents more than 1,000 staff at Sellafield, has called the action, from 6.45am today until 6am tomorrow morning.

It's in response to a 1.5% pay offer imposed by Sellafield in September, backdated to the beginning of April this year.

The industrial action comes as a further strike planned by the GMB is announced to take place next week - involving 3,000 members from 6.01am on Wednesday to 5.59am the next day.

The Unite regional officer said:

Mr Williams says the union was set to meet Sellafield representatives but claimed the nuclear firm cancelled the meeting.

He added that Unite workers are in dispute over two aspects of the pay:

Sellafield says safety and security are the company's priorities:

Unite regional officer Graham Williams commented:

The union says it will continue to maintain a skeleton staff during the strike for health and safety reasons.

The strike follows a ballot of members which saw 90% vote for strikes.