Appledore Shipyard workers take industrial action
23 Oct 2008
Trade union members at Appledore Shipyard in the UK say they want the same money as workers at other Babcock International-owned yards involved in Britain's new aircraft carriers. The Appledore yard is earmarked to help build hull sections for two of the UK's next generation of aircraft carriers and the yard's owners say strike action could mean work being reassigned to their other yards instead.
The vessels, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will be the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy and are expected to be completed between 2014 and 2016. Babcock, which is part of the UK Aircraft Carrier Alliance, secured the deal for the carriers in July 2007. The Appledore work came out of Babcock's takeover of the Devonport yard in Plymouth in June 2007 from previous owner DML.
The vessels, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will be the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy and are expected to be completed between 2014 and 2016. Babcock, which is part of the UK Aircraft Carrier Alliance, secured the deal for the carriers in July 2007. The Appledore work came out of Babcock's takeover of the Devonport yard in Plymouth in June 2007 from previous owner DML.
