THOUSANDS of nuclear workers – including those at Berkeley and Oldbury power stations – will consider taking strike action over proposed pension cuts.

Union members will meet in London on Monday to discuss the possibility of striking over proposals to final salary pension benefits put forward by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

The GMB, Prospect, Unite and ASLEF/TSSA Unions representing workers in the nuclear sector are to meet in London on Monday where they will discuss the proposal for over £660 million cuts to 16,000 nuclear workers' pensions across 19 sites in the UK – including Oldbury and Berkeley.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is starting a process of statutory consultation about proposed government cuts to final salary pension benefits across the NDA estate from January 9.

Kevin Coyne, Unite national officer for energy, said: “We are urging all our members working for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to resist this proposed Treasury-led ‘raid’ on their pensions – if it is allowed to go-ahead thousands of workers will see their retirement incomes slashed by thousands of pounds.

“It is blatantly clear that the NDA is the stalking horse for the government which is hell-bent in saving £660 million over the period of decommissioning.

“This assault on our members’ pensions is made all the more sour by the fact that the scheme is not in deficit.

“The NDA is the monkey to the government’s organ grinder in this sordid and unnecessary sleight of hand.

“Our members have already made big sacrifices since the last pension changes were imposed in 2008 – and enough is enough.

“Our members will be prepared to take determined industrial action to defend their hard-earned retirement incomes.”