Sellafield workers walk out in pay row

Hundreds of workers at the Sellafield nuclear processing plant were staging a walk-out today in a dispute over pay.

The strike will run from 2.15pm to 11.15pm and will halt all reprocessing work.

Trade unions representing workers at the plant in Cumbria asked yesterday for conciliation officers to be called in to help break the deadlock.

The GMB and Amicus suggested that Acas officials could help resolve the dispute with British Nuclear Fuels.

The unions accuse BNFL of reneging on an agreement to close a £2,000 (€2,800) pay gap between white collar and manual workers, a charge the company has denied.

Unions will recommend to their members on Monday that a strike planned for December 5 should be rescheduled while Acas acts as mediator.

Dougie Rooney, from Amicus, said: “This represents progress and we hope the involvement of Acas conciliation officers can resolve the dispute.

“The trade unions will certainly make themselves available at the earliest opportunity to attempt to meet with Acas and the company.”

Brian Strutton, from GMB, added: “Our clear objective has always been to negotiate a settlement to the dispute and Acas conciliation will help achieve it.

“The GMB is therefore recommending this to our members as the sensible way forward to finally resolve this issue which has dragged on far too long.”

Mr Strutton said if union members agreed to the proposal, next Friday’s strike would be suspended as a “gesture of goodwill”.