Unite, the UK's largest union, is preparing to ballot over 1,000 members in construction firm Balfour Beatty Engineering Services for industrial action.

The union has targeted the major firm in an action that could hit some of the UK's key infrastructure projects, including power stations and Crossrail.

The strike ballot follows what the union claims is Balfour Beatty's failure to step back from imposed contractual changes which they allege will see thousands of workers' wages cut by one third.

In May this year Balfour Beatty Engineering Services, along with six other leading construction companies, informed Unite of its intention to withdraw from five long-standing agreements and impose new semi-skilled grades with massive cuts in pay. This will hit electricians, plumbers and heating and ventilating engineers working at sites around the country including Grangemouth, Sellafield and London's Crossrail.

Unite is now balloting Balfour Beatty Engineering Services first as it believes the firm is acting as the 'ring-leader' of the break-away employers with five firms out of the seven threatening to sack workers who refuse to sign the new and inferior contracts by 7 December.

Unite says the companies will usher in a era of de-skilling across the sector and has also repeatedly warned that the attacks will bring industrial strife to a sector trying to weather the worst economic climate in decades.

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They claimed that such 'attempts to break the workforce' are seen as inflammatory and hugely opportunistic given that Balfour Beatty's orders are up six per cent with £15.5 billion worth of projects on its books since last year and the latest interim shareholder dividend is up five per cent.

Last year Balfour Beatty posted pre-tax profits of £50,500,000 and Ian Tyler, its chief executive, received a total pay package of £979,994.

Unite National Officer Bernard McAulay said: "We believe Balfour Beatty is the main aggressor among a group of companies trying to bully their workers into signing away their livelihoods so Unite is therefore balloting them first. We have warned them repeatedly that their greed will bring mayhem to an industry desperately trying to steer a path through the recession, but they refuse to listen.

"The failure of the senior management at Balfour Beatty Engineering Services to withdraw the threats of dismissal has left Unite with no choice than to prepare for an industrial action ballot with Balfour Beatty, the ring-leader of these break-away firms.

"This is a vastly profitable company. It has no need whatsoever to rob its employees in order to satisfy its shareholders. Perhaps the threat of strike action will bring Balfour Beatty to its senses and back to the negotiating table."

At a meeting of Unite shop stewards from the electrical and mechanical sector a unanimous decision was taken to proceed with a ballot in Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

It follows months of protests by thousands of rank and file construction workers outside sites up and down the country, including Sellafield, Grangemouth and Ratcliffe power stations, Blackfriars and Kings Cross station and Lindsey oil refinery.

The timescale for the ballot with Balfour Beatty has yet to be confirmed and the locations of strikes will be decided in due course.

The union has also said that the threat of dismissal must be removed before meaningful discussions can take place. The other six companies will be balloted in the next phase of Unite's fight to defend its members.

Unite has been lobbying major clients in the electrical and mechanical sector about the dangers of a new era of industrial unrest where major projects will not be delivered on time or within budget.

The agreements that the break-away companies want to withdraw from have delivered industrial peace and stability for 40 years.

(CD)