Staff at British nuclear warhead facility to vote on strike

(Adds staff figures) LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Nearly 2,000 staff at a British company that makes and maintains nuclear warheads will vote on whether to strike in a dispute over pay, a union said on Wednesday, as rising inflation spurs more industrial unrest.

Nearly 2,000 staff at a British company that makes and maintains nuclear warheads will vote on whether to strike in a dispute over pay, a union said on Wednesday, as rising inflation spurs more industrial unrest. The Prospect union said a ballot for its members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) would open on Oct. 24 and run for two weeks after they rejected a 5% pay award. An additional lump sum payment offered was still inadequate and failed to address a real-terms pay reduction, it added.

"Safely maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent is a complex and highly stressful operation that requires an extremely high level of dedication and training at all levels," Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said in a statement. "It should attract a commensurate level of pay and respect for these staff who keep the country safe."

Labour disputes and industrial unrest have swept a range of professions in Britain this year - from lawyers and teachers to pilots, rail staff and dockworkers - as rising costs of living outpace pay rises. Inflation in September remained at a 40-year-high of 10.1% in September, data showed on Wednesday.

Neither Britain's ministry of defense nor the AWE, an arm's length public body owned by the ministry, responded to requests for comment. Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, in southern England, it develops and maintains nuclear warheads for Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. ($1 = 0.8863 pounds)

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