Nearly 3,000 UK staff at Leonardo are voting on strike action after rejecting a below‑inflation pay rise.

Workers at the Italian defence group Leonardo are being balloted on industrial action across sites in Yeovil, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Luton and Basildon, the Unite union has said. Voting runs until early October and could lead to walkouts if members back a strike.

The dispute centres on a 3.2% pay offer, which Unite and employees argue amounts to a real‑terms cut. Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said the workforce is highly skilled and contributes to critical defence and aerospace programmes, and urged the company to return to talks with an improved proposal. The union’s aerospace national officer, Rhys McCarthy, contended that Leonardo benefits from substantial UK government contracts and should reflect that in pay.

Any strike could bring picket lines and temporary shutdowns at affected factories. Leonardo is a major player in Europe’s defence industry, manufacturing helicopters, aircraft, electronics and cybersecurity systems. The company reported 2024 revenues of about €18bn and profits exceeding €1.5bn.

The ballot comes despite Leonardo’s recent inclusion in LinkedIn’s 2025 Top Companies list for the UK, where it was the only aerospace and defence firm recognised for career progression. Unite has warned that, without movement on pay, it will escalate to industrial action once the ballot closes.

Source: Army Technology.