Unions announce ballot for national strike

Unions Unite and GMB are to ballot their members for strike action at seven major power and petrochemical plants across Britain.

The ballot, which will go to members working in the building and maintenance of power stations and petrochemical sites, will run from 11 August to 1 September with any agreed industrial action following shortly after.

The sites targeted are: BP FPS Grangemouth and Ineos Grangemouth in Scotland; Sellafield, Shell UK Stanlow and Staythorpe RWE in England; and Chevron Pembroke and Aberthaw in Wales.

A statement from Unite said: "The employer’s body, the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA) has rejected the unions key demands for improvements to the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI), which would deliver fairness and long term stability to the sector.

"Although talks are continuing, the unions have lost confidence that the ECIA is serious in addressing the union’s grievances."

The ballot follows months of industrial unrest and unofficial action at sites across the country.

The National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) has operated since 1981.