Royal Navy tugboat crews balloted for strike action Royal Navy tugboat and marine services crews, some of whom move nuclear submarines, are being balloted for strike action amid safety concerns.
The crews, based at Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane, Great Harbour Greenock and Kyle of Lochalsh, are employed by Serco Marine, which the union said is currently in talks with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about renewing its 10-year £1.2 billion contract with the Royal Navy.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Royal Navy operational priorities – including the Continuous At Sea Deterrent and aircraft carriers – will not be affected during the proposed strike.
Unite national officer John McGookin said: “Our members have been forced to ballot for strike action because of their concerns that the new contract will result in afloat services that are not fit for purpose.
It called for workers to be involved in consultations on the proposed changes and said this had happened in previous contract negotiations, providing critical insight into how the service operates at sea.
