Workers at Merseyside-based firm IQA Knowsley are to vote over taking potential strike action in a dispute over pay and proposed redundancies.

A total of 34 workers will be balloted for strike action and/or industrial action short of a strike from Monday, 19 Februayr.

Union Unite said employees at the firm, which refurbishes electricity supplies to residential properties, are angry over a lack of a pay rise since 2015 as well as 13 proposed redundancies.

Regional officer Ross Quinn said despite the firm blaming the jobs losses on a lack of work from Scottish Power Energy Network (SPEN), other sub-contractors have been contacting members offering proposed work for SPEN.


"Our members should not be forced to lose their current employment rights and recognition by seeking work that could have been provided by IAQ," he said.

"These other contractors are offering work on inferior pay, and terms and conditions. Our members work on and around live electric cables, so it is potentially a very dangerous job. However, we have recognition at IQA, and have Unite workplace and health and safety reps that regularly meet management to discuss safety.

"IQA is one of the main contractors locally with collective bargaining agreements and Unite safety reps. Therefore, our members are extremely concerned about what type of working environment they will face, if the redundancies take place and they have to work elsewhere.

"IQA is part of Spanish multinational Elecnor and we believe that the parent company should put pressure on the management locally to resolve these issues before this dispute escalates into industrial action."

(LM/MH)