It has been confirmed today that about 100 members of staff employed by Kaefer Limited are to strike for 12 weeks at Rosyth Dockyard.
The members of staff are all members of the Unite union working on the construction of the Type 31 Frigate. The five ships – Active, Bulldog, Formidable, Venturer and Campbeltown – are already behind schedule as the first may be launched in 2023 but that was the initial “in service” date in terms of the contract.
Unite the union say that 98.4% of the members voted in support of strike action after Kaefer failed to make a formal pay offer. After the strike vote the company offered a 7.2% increase which the workers have rejected in the face of inflation at 13.8% based on the RPI.
Babcock the owner of Rosyth was contracted by the government to build give Type 31 warships in 2019. Babcock International Group PLC made an operating profit of £227 million in the last financial year reported to 31 March 2022.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Unite’s members working for Kaefer are determined to secure a fair pay deal. Kaefer dragged their feet and then made an unacceptable offer following our members’ emphatic decision to vote for strike action. We will support our members all the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at the Rosyth dockyard.”
Bob MacGregor, Unite regional industrial officer, said: “The workforce are prepared to take 12 weeks all-out strike action to get a decent wage rise. Kaefer just simply doesn’t get it. The company first refused to make any offer for months, and then they panicked following the strike vote.
Kaefer in turn are blaming Babcock who own the yard for this situation but it’s a mess they have jointly created. It’s a really shoddy way of managing industrial relations at Rosyth. The imminent strike action will have a knock-on effect for the Type 31 contract, and it will undoubtedly lead to significant delays.”
The Arrowhead 140 frigates being built will look like SAS Spioenkop, a MEKO A-200 below, which is a design similar to the Atlas Elektronik design chosen from three competing bids.
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