Dounreay power station faces the possibility of strike action as approximately 450 employees, represented by Unite the union, are being balloted over a pay dispute with Magnox Limited.
Magnox Ltd, trading under the name Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
The disagreement stems from a rejected pay offer of 4.5%, deemed inadequate by the workforce due to its failure to keep pace with inflation rates.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Dounreay workforce are highly-skilled and they undertake an extremely important job.
“The failure to pay our members a decent pay increase is outrageous, Magnox seems to have money to burn for directors and shareholders but thinks it is acceptable to deny its workers a decent pay increase.”
In a statement, NRS Dounreay said: “We understand that the Dounreay union representatives felt that they had no choice but to ballot their members for industrial action over the pay deal.
“Obviously, this outcome is disappointing but it is the right of members to have their say.
“NRS Dounreay has made an offer of 4.5% with lower grades getting up to 7%. The Dounreay site will remain safe and secure and we sincerely hope we can resolve this as soon as possible.”
