Strike action has resumed at key BAE Systems facilities in Lancashire after negotiations between the company and Unite the union failed to produce an agreement on pay and conditions.
Hundreds of highly skilled aerospace workers at Warton and Samlesbury are taking part in renewed industrial action, with Unite saying discussions collapsed after proposed offers were altered or withdrawn late in the process. The union said previous strikes had been paused to allow talks to continue, but claimed those efforts did not lead to progress.
The latest action follows a fresh ballot involving around 550 additional workers, who voted in favour of striking. Unite says the escalation means more than 1,000 workers across the two sites will now be involved, alongside around 200 design staff, with further measures including overtime bans and refusals to travel or train colleagues. The strike period is expected to run from 2 February until at least 20 February.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham criticised the company’s approach to negotiations, saying: “Instead of taking part in constructive talks it has insisted on game-playing tactics in a poor attempt at union-busting.” She added that workers were seeking what they see as a fair share of the company’s financial success, noting BAE Systems’ recent profits and shareholder dividends.
According to Unite, BAE Systems reported profits of more than £3 billion in 2024 and paid £1.5 billion in dividends in 2025. The union argues that a pay award imposed in 2025, worth 3.6 per cent, amounted to a real-terms pay cut and compared unfavourably with a 4.5 per cent settlement and additional leave agreed for shop floor employees.
Unite regional officer Ross Quinn said the decision to resume strikes reflected growing frustration among staff. “Unite went into these negotiations in good faith and even halted previous strikes,” he said. “Yet BAE Systems continue to act in bad faith and with no real desire to resolve this dispute.”
BAE Systems has previously said it values its workforce and remains committed to reaching a resolution, while balancing pay, long-term competitiveness and the need to deliver on major defence programmes. The company has not yet issued a fresh public response to the latest round of industrial action.
