Workers at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria are to vote on taking strike action in a dispute over pay.

Around 2,000 craft and staff members of union Unite will take part in a ballot from Wednesday, 13 September.

Unite has called Sellafield Ltd's offer of a 1.5% pay award from this month, backdated to 01 April, as "completely unacceptable".

Regional Officer Graham Williams said: "With the RPI inflation rate running at 3.5 per cent and the CPI rate currently at 2.6 per cent - and projections by the end of 2017 of four per cent and three per cent plus respectively - our members can't realistically accept a paltry 1.5 per cent pay rise.

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"The imposed offer comes on the back of a 0.25 per cent increase last year.

"We calculate that if our members accepted this offer, taking into account last year's minimal rise, our members would be £1,700 worse off in real terms, which is completely unacceptable, as inflation takes off."

Mr Williams added Sellafield Ltd's management needs to negotiate in a constructive manner, "otherwise future strike action could bring Sellafield to a halt".

"We see the invisible hand of government guiding the management to impose this harsh austerity pay policy," he said.

"Our members are highly skilled and trained professionals who are working in an extremely hazardous, arduous and security-vetted environment.

"They are carrying out important work in the national interest and it is imperative that the wage rates are maintained at a commensurate level to reflect their contribution to Sellafield's continued success."

(LM)