Sealand: Local politicians campaign for wage increase for Defence Equipment & Support workers

Alyn and Deeside’s Member of Parliament and Member of Senedd have stepped up their campaign to bring a devastating six-month strike to an end. 

Unite members at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) DECA, Sealand, have been striking three days a week since October 2023 over stagnant salaries. 

DE&S DECA is an in-house facility for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), working on logistics, calibration, and repair of highly specialised equipment.

Workers at the Sealand site currently help to maintain the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and the latest F-35 jet fighter.

Unite states that since 2015, DE&S DECA has already saved the MoD more than £225 million, with £37 million being achieved in 2022 alone. 

“Despite the specialist and important nature of this work, wages are not keeping pace, leaving workers struggling with the cost of living,” said Mark Tami MP. 

“A technician earning £26,300 in August 2010 should now earn £38,629.74 for their salary to have kept pace with inflation, yet the technician earns only £31,563.

These are loyal, hardworking and highly skilled staff who want to be back at work. DE&S DECA would find it incredibly difficult to find staff of equivalent knowledge, experience and passion.”  

Mark Tami, Jack Sargeant and North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas have previously written to DE&S DECA urging them to get round the table with the union to resolve the strike.

A response was received from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, stating that DE&S DECA operates commercially and has to be competitive in the marketplace.  

Jack Sargeant last week raised the issue on the floor of the Senedd. Today he said: 

 “We feel that salaries at DE&S DECA Sealand are not at all competitive, especially considering the specialist and important nature of the work.  

“We are incredibly disappointed that a resolution still hasn’t been reached and have written to the chief executive of DE&S DECA to ask to meet with management and senior Unite representatives on site as soon as possible to discuss a sustainable and fair way forward.” 

Unite the Union’s lead representative at DE&S DECA Carl Richards said: “We take pride in our jobs, and we don’t want to be on strike. We noted on a recent picket at Sealand that the combined experience of the 60 members striking was a staggering 2,000 years. That’s a lot of experience to have stood outside the gates in protest.”