Around 200 Unite members at Leicester-based aerospace firm SPS Technologies Ltd will take continuous strike action in a dispute over pay.

Workers at the firm have turned down a two-year pay offer of four per cent this year and four per cent next year as they don't believe this goes far enough to address years of low pay offers. This is the third year in a row workers at SPS Technologies have had to ballot for industrial action to improve pay offers.

SPS Technologies' recent finances show an annual turnover exceeding £54 million. It is a subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corp (PCC), part of Berkshire Hathaway which was headed up by US billionaire Warren Buffet - one of the world's richest people - until the end of last year.

The pay offer to SPS Technologies workers is less than what has been offered to other PCC workers in the East Midlands. Meanwhile, SPS Technologies is also trying to impose changes to workers’ conditions by removing the use of emergency holidays and changing the absence policy in relation to staff who work a nine day fortnight.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "SPS Technologies can more than afford to make a better pay offer to its hardworking, highly skilled staff but it is prioritising greed instead.

"Unite will never stand for attacks on our members’ conditions. SPS Technologies workers deserve better than this treatment and they have the union’s full support.”

The Unite members involved in the dispute manufacture parts for the aerospace and defence industries, including specialist nuts, bolts, pins and screws.

They will strike from tomorrow (4 September). SPS Technologies has recently started a new order of making parts for Airbus and industrial action will dramatically impact the delivery of this.

Unite regional officer Lee Purslow said: "Strike action will be very disruptive for SPS Technologies' customers, especially given the fact this is industrial action without an end date.

"There is still time resolve this, but it relies on SPS Technologies management coming back to the table with an offer that is fair for our members."