Aerospace workers set to strike in pay dispute.

HUNDREDS of workers at an aerospace firm will take strike action on Monday.

Workers at Consett-based CAV Aerospace will walk out in protest after their shift allowances were cut from 36% to 25%, and some work was shifted to a factory in Cambridge.

Talks between bosses and the GMB union broke down on Thursday after the company failed to offer any compensation to the 80 workers affected.

The union had asked for pounds 150 for each worker, but say the company only offered to lay off a further five workers.

The firm, which employs about 400 staff in Consett, has already brought in several measures to cope with a drop in demand including a pay freeze, a shorter working week and the suspension of a grading system to stop employees working their way up.

The company cut 40 jobs last year and announced a further 61 losses this month.

Regional organiser Stephen Thompkins said: "Talks have broken down and a strike is unavoidable. The company did make a proposal but it had no relevance to the dispute and involved further job losses.

"We wanted pounds 150 per man to defer the strike action, but the company chose not to make any financial offer. We're disappointed because we wanted to avoid strike action. To make an offer which would mean further job losses is a disgrace.

We would not ballot our members on that - the union is here to save jobs not vote to lose them." The business supplies blue-chip aerospace firms with systems which protect business jets, military and smaller aircraft from the build-up of exterior ice.

It is understood the whole of the Consett site will shut on Monday.

Mr Thompkins added: "We're hoping for a good turnout on the picket line. This dispute only affects 80 people, but we have more than 200 members and are expecting a lot of them to come and support the strike." As part of the strike action an overtime ban will come into force on Monday, with another walkout planned on Tuesday, May 26..