THE threat of strike action has secured a real-terms pay boost for more than 300 workers at Thales’ sites in Govan and Reading, Unite has revealed.

In March, the French-based company announced its profits had soared by 14 per cent to £2.34 billion over the last year as arms spending ramps up across Europe and the US and Israeli aggression in the Middle East rages on.

The firm also recently secured its status as the sole supplier of periscopes and optronics masts to the Royal Navy, the cornerstone of its record levels of orders with the Ministry of Defence.

Despite that boom in orders and profit, however, bolstered by a further £1.1bn in export deals supporting hundreds of jobs in Govan, Thales chose to offer those workers and their colleagues at its British headquarters in Reading a sub-inflation pay rise earlier this year.

Rejecting the real-terms pay cut, Unite moved in June to ballot electronics, software and systems engineers, as well as its manufacturing and mechanical technician members at the company for strike action — a move which proved enough to drive bosses back to the negotiating table.

Those Acas-sponsored talks have now delivered a deal to boost pay by 4.3 per cent backdated to January this year.

Welcoming the agreement, Unite regional co-ordinator Elaine Dougall said it would “provide a welcome boost to the pay packets of our members,” while paying tribute to members’ resolve.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham added: “Thales workers have secured a decent pay deal.

“The improved deal only came about after the workers backed taking strike action to get what they deserved.”