Union members at Dounreay to be balloted in pay dispute

Dounreay near Thurso is being decommissioned

Trade unions representing workers at the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness have begun preparations for a ballot on industrial action.

Members of the GMB, Unite and Prospect unions rejected an offer from Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) of a 1% increase in pay in October.

The unions warned DSRL's parent company Cavendish Dounreay Partnership of the potential of industrial unrest.

DSRL said the offer was "comparable" to other pay increases in the industry.

Dounreay, near Thurso in Caithness, is being decommissioned.

Built in the 1950s, it was an experimental nuclear power site.

The unions argue that Cavendish Dounreay Partnership could afford to make a better offer on pay because of the profits it has been making.

DSRL said: "The pay offer that DSRL has made is comparable to recent nuclear decommissioning industry pay increases and is above inflation.

"We remain committed to engaging with the trade unions and staff but due to the sensitive nature of these negotiations, we are unable to comment further."