A series of one-day strikes by more than 2,000 workers is likely to close British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield site over the next four weeks in the first industrial action to hit the state-owned company in 30 years.
Brian Watson, Sellafield's director, immediately invoked agreements with unions to ensure all nuclear plants remain safe by providing minimum staffing levels.
It is understood that the strikes, set for the next four Fridays, will close reprocessing and mixed-oxide (Mox) plants, which will be put into a "quiescent" state. Unions are threatening to escalate the action if the company does not respond.
The dispute, involving 2,400 workers at Sellafield, is over BNFL's alleged breach of a promise to harmonise by April 2004 a £2,000 difference in shift pay between industrial workers and staff. White collar staff get £8,750.
BNFL, which said it had struck a deal with workers at its other sites, denies breaking any promises and insists it had begun working towards harmonisation. But the loss-making group says it cannot afford to meet the timetable set by the unions for workers who earn up to £40,000 a year.
Dougie Rooney, Amicus national officer for energy, said the BNFL board should instruct the management to re-enter talks. "Their failure to do so will cause a long-running strike because our union is fully prepared to go the distance on this issue."
· Dipesh Shah, a former BP executive with extensive experience in renewable energy, is to be the new chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
