Strikes advance at ELE Advanced Technologies based in Nelson over pay dispute

Workers at a Lancashire-based technology company have voted overwhelmingly for strike action after failing to reach an agreement regarding pay.

ELE Advanced Technologies, who are based in Nelson, have been locked in pay discussions with staff who have decided to start striking on Wednesday May 1.

The firm, which employs over 200 people, provides engineering solutions worldwide and specialises in the aerospace, industrial gas and commercial diesel engine sectors.

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Irritated employees who will be involved in the strike action are members of the UK’s leading union, Unite.

United released a statement which said: “Despite the company boasting it provides an “inspiring, supportive, and collaborative working environment for its employees”, ELE Advanced Technologies has refused to fairly increase its workers’ wages.”

The company has offered the workers a £1,000 pay increase (worth approximately four per cent) from May 2023 and five per cent from May 2024. 

This amounts to a substantial real term pay cut, the real inflation rate (RPI) stood at 11.3 per cent in May last year.

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The 80 plus workers will begin strike action at 06:00 on Wednesday May 1, with strike action continuing on May 2 and 3. 

Further industrial action will be announced unless the company improves its pay offer.

Unite regional officer, Ross Quinn said: “ELE Advanced Technologies has pushed our members to the limit. 

“Every single worker has been repeatedly let down by broken promises. Wages have not kept up with inflation. Moreover, investors of the company are set to see massive returns.

“Strike action will inevitably cause shortages and production disruption for ELE’s customers but this dispute is entirely of its own making. It has had months to resolve this dispute but has stubbornly chosen not to do so.”

Unite has said that the company has claimed it cannot afford the pay rise due to financial losses in 2023, caused by a move to a larger manufacturing facility and long-term investments to increase future profits. 

The union has also claimed that the ELE chief executive received a 12 percent wage increase last year yet its workforce continues to struggle with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “This is a prime example of a company manipulating financial data to try to supress, workers’ wages and it has been caught red handed. 

“ELE Advanced Technologies can absolutely afford to pay its workers better wages.

 “Unite always stands shoulder to shoulder with our members to ensure we secure better jobs, pay and conditions for every single one of them.”

ELE Advanced Technologies has been approached for a comment.

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