£3.1bn ship could be hit by strike
THE Royal Navy’s £3.1bn aircraft carrier may be stuck in Portsmouth if a national pay dispute involving tug boat crew members steams ahead.
The Queen Elizabeth would be unable to leave its port in Portsmouth if Serco Marine Services workers strike over a pay dispute.
Serco Marine Services employ a 350 person tug boat crew at Greenock, Faslane and Kyle, as well as at Devonport and Portsmouth.
The crew overwhelmingly rejected a 1.8% pay rise for 2016-17 and 2.2% for 2017-18.
Unite national officer Bobby Morton said: “If our members vote for strike action it will create waves industrially. The Queen Elizabeth needs the tugs.”