UNITE will ballot 300 members at Thales plants in Govan and Reading for strike action, saying the firm’s latest pay offer is “treating workers with contempt.”

Despite Thales UK — which specialises in optics for weapons systems — coining £179.3 million in profits over 2023 and 2024 and the Ministry of Defence recently approving £1.1 billion of export deals for the company, it has tabled a real-terms pay cut to its workers.

They overwhelmingly rejected that offer and now their union, Unite, will launch a strike ballot running from June 2 to June 23.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The company’s pay offer is treating the workers with contempt.

“It needs to do the right thing for its workers in Glasgow and Reading by making an improved offer which our members can accept.”

Unite regional co-ordinator Elaine Dougall added: “Thales is recording tens of millions in profit and it is making billions from UK government contracts.

“Thales needs to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer, or they will face the anger of their workforce on the picket line.”