Thousands of BAE Systems workers in Lancashire secure pay rise after months of strikes
Workers at BAE Systems sites in Lancashire have secured an above-inflation pay rise following months of industrial action.
Thousands of employees at the company’s factories in Warton and Samlesbury took part in strike action over the winter in a dispute over pay.
Members of the Unite union have now accepted a deal worth around six per cent overall, alongside additional annual leave and a one-off payment.
Under the agreement, staff will receive a 4.8 per cent pay rise backdated to January 1, with a further 0.75 per cent increase due from October 1, 2026.
Workers will also receive a one-off payment of £500.
The deal also includes an additional day of annual leave for all staff, while Unite members will receive a further extra day.
Employees will also finish work half an hour earlier each day under the new arrangement.
The dispute led to repeated strike action at the aerospace sites in December, January and February, with Unite members protesting what they said was a lack of a fair pay award after colleagues in other parts of the business received increases.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the settlement had been secured through the determination of workers on the picket line.
She said: "It has taken a courageous stance from our workers on a picket line to win this award.
“They should be congratulated for standing together and winning a pay rise they truly deserve."
Unite regional officer Ross Quinn described the agreement as a “hard-fought victory”.
He said: "This has been a hard-fought victory against an employer that tried every trick in the book to avoid paying our members what they deserved.
“This win shows the power in a union and that when our reps and workers across the aerospace industry and across Lancashire stand together they can win against even the biggest employers."
A spokesperson for BAE Systems said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with this Trade Union group.
“As the UK’s sovereign provider of combat air capability, our people continue to play a crucial role in supporting the UK Armed Forces and its allies.”