Strike at UKHO in Taunton
Members of the Prospect union working at UKHO (UK Hydrographic Office), Taunton will strike on 15 March. Union members voted “resoundingly” to take industrial action over real terms pay cuts and threats to jobs, terms & conditions.
At UKHO, Prospect members produce products and data to support navigation and the safety of life at sea. This work supports both commercial shipping and the Royal Navy. The Union told us “Our highly skilled members are passionate about this mission and want to ensure our ability to fulfil this task is protected. Sadly, we are seeing experienced friends and colleagues leave the organisation, seeking better pay, and the business is struggling to replace them.”
Prospect say that their members have seen 11 years of real term pay cuts. As a result they point out that incomes at UKHO have fallen by over 20% since 2010. Their spokesperson added “The current cost of living crisis has made this situation worse, with members taking second jobs, struggling to pay their bills, and seeing quality of life decline.”
The current mandate for industrial action lasts for six months.