By Alan Irving

Last updated 11:33, Thursday, 14 August 2008

A SERIOUS threat of industrial action from nearly 4,000 industrial workers still hangs over Sellafield despite a major unions bust up.

The split has divided staff and industrials on the nuclear site.

Feelings are running high since site staff union Prospect, with 4,300 site members, elected to go it alone to try and broker a new pay deal.

GMB and Unite have accepted a company invitation to hold more talks next Thursday but Monday’s ballot will still go ahead.

The breakaway has not only driven a wedge between Prospect and both the GMB and Unite craft union but led to strong criticism of Sellafield Ltd management.

“The trust and integrity of the company has been brought into question,” claimed joint shop stewards’ secretary Peter Kane. The company refute the claim.

GMB and Unite told The Whitehaven News they were going ahead with their own ballots for industrial action which they insist would cripple the site without any staff support. The ballots are due to start next Monday.

GMB convenor Mr Kane claimed management had let them down. “From day one the company said a deal had to be done on joint negotiations with all the unions, also so as not to prolong the dispute they would not mount any legal challenge to our ballot. They’ve gone back on both.”

Prospect’s move to try and strike a separate deal for staff came only 48 hours after the latest talks broke down.

“Prospect has done the management’s job for them in divide and rule, it has driven a wedge between the unions,” said former GMB regional organiser Brian Dixon.

The unions say they are confident that workers will back the ballot’s call for a strike or other forms of action.

Asked whether it could still be effective without white collar support, Mr Kane declared: “Yes, categorically. Look what happened last time.”

Five years ago industrial shift workers went on strike over a £2,000-a-year pay gap between them and white collar staff. Disruptive stoppages over three weeks saw plant closures and costly losses.

Out of the blue, Sellafield Prospect officials Peter Clements and Paul Shawcross went to see management last Friday after both the trades and staff unions walked out of the last-ditch pay talks two days before.

“We sat down afterwards and looked more closely at the figures,” said Mr Clements. “We believed there was the makings of a deal and it was in the interests of our members to explore the possibility. There is no agreement as yet but having re-entered negotiations we have suspended our ballot. We have a split with the trade unions over this, we knew there would have to be bridges built with them after this, and they can be.

“At the same time we have separate collective bargaining arrangements within Sellafield Ltd and have every right to carry out our own negotiations.”

When all the unions got back round the table with management last week Prospect national officer Mike Graham told company negotiators “we are still a million miles away from a deal.”

But Mr Clements said yesterday that Mr Graham was 100 per cent in agreement with the new moves.

Prospect will put any offer to staff before acceptance.

Unite regional organiser Alan Westnedge said: “There was a 90 per rejection of the pay offer in the ballot and it was decided emphatically by the TU side and Prospect to pursue a line of industrial action. The company has not improved on that offer, just dressed it up. Prospect are entitled to go in any direction they wish but at the same time you have to follow the wishes of your members.”

Sellafield Ltd said yesterday that “a joint agreement between the company and the three site unions was and remains the company’s preferred option but each union has always retained single negotiation rights.

“We are committed to finding a way forward... through dialogue and that our door remains open to any approach from any of the unions at any time.” The statement stressed: “There was no threat of legal action to stop the proposed ballot by GMB and Unite – what we did in good faith was to offer those unions informed legal advice which they had a choice whether or not to accept.”

• A full shop stewards meeting today (Thursday) endorsed the trade unions' move to hold a ballot. Peter Kane said: "The company is doing all in their power to stop us balloting members. All this will do is delay the inevitable. The message from Unite and GMB is clear: our members will not accept this derisory offer. They need to come with a significant improved offer. So the ballot for industrial action will go out next week unless the company make further legal challenges."