Following a pay dispute with employer Balfour Beatty, around 150 M25 maintenance workers have voted for strike action
Balfour Beatty offered the M25 maintenance workers a 3.4% pay rise, which was dismissed as “meagre”.
Unite, which organised the strike ballot, said that with the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 4.9%, this is a real-terms pay cut.
Tensions are increased by the fact that workers also received a below-inflation pay rise last year.
The ballot action was announced on the same day that Balfour announced that its revenues for 2023 have increased by seven per cent to £9.6bn, while underlying profits from operations rose by two per cent to £236m.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Providing these workers with a fair pay rise would not even dent Balfour Beatty’s huge profits. Balfour Beatty is hugely profitable – its pay offer is all about greed not need. Unite will be backing our members 100 per cent during the forthcoming strike action.”
The workers operate from depots based at Barnet, Uxbridge, Swanley, Epping, and Dartford, and strike action will seriously disrupt journey times.
Dates for industrial action will be announced in the coming days
Unite regional officer Phil Silkstone said: “The inconvenience and delays caused by strike action to M25 travellers sits squarely at the door of Balfour Beatty. It has had every opportunity to put forward a reasonable offer but has repeatedly refused to do so. Balfour Beatty must swiftly return to talks with Unite and table an acceptable pay deal.”
A Balfour Beatty spokesperson responded to the news, saying: “We are disappointed by Unite the Union’s decision to proceed with strike action. We remain committed to working with them to reach an appropriate outcome, and would like to reassure travellers that suitable contingency plans are in place to minimise any potential disruption”.
