AWE branch to strike over botched restructure
Prospect members working at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are to strike on Thursday, 12 March having voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action after a litany of errors and failure to consult from senior management.
AWE members’ word cloud on how they’re feeling about the company
A further day’s strike action is currently scheduled for 26 March. Action short of a strike has already commenced and will run continuously.
The ballot results, covering staff working at AWE sites including at Aldermaston and Burghfield, were 95% in favour of action short of a strike, and 81% in favour of strike action. Turnout was well over the legal threshold.
In November AWE told staff it would be embarking on a restructuring programme with circa 7,000 roles in scope for 400-500 redundancies, while a further 750 posts are being recruited for. AWE has since increased the number of potential redundancies to 800, but continue to fail to provide Prospect with all the information necessary to understand and challenge the restructure.
Prospect members work in specialist roles as scientists and engineers across AWE and are vital to the UK’s atomic weapons programme and to our security, providing unique and irreplaceable skills. These workers include world-leading scientists who are proud of the vital work they do on behalf of the nation and our allies but have been pushed to the brink by the repeated errors from AWE leadership.
The government recently committed to a historic £15bn investment in a new nuclear warhead programme, but Prospect warns that this crucial investment risks being derailed if this restructure continues to cause internal chaos. Strike action and action short of a strike will add to this disruption and potentially cost AWE millions of pounds. However, the union argues that a failed reorganisation could have permanent consequences for the future of the organisation.
Mike Clancy, Prospect General Secretary, said:
“’Our members are the country’s leading experts in their field and take huge pride in the job they do on behalf of the nation. They deserve a full and honest account of the justification for these changes, and the consequences for the future of the organisation, with a chance to have their own voices meaningfully heard.
“The chaotic and partial provision of information during this process has seriously damaged the relationship between AWE staff and their leadership and is the root cause of this action.
“We have been clear with management throughout this process about the steps they need to take but, while some progress has been made, the core issues remain unresolved, leaving us no choice but to push ahead with this action.”
