Staff say their work is vital for the country’s naval military defence capability.
Nuclear naval base staff are considering strike action over cost-saving plans they said will put them at risk.
Serco Maritime workers at Faslane, near Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, are among those being balloted by Prospect union over the measures planned for a new contract between the firm and the Ministry of Defence.
The staff work on support vehicles for Royal Navy nuclear submarines and war ships to help them go in and out of the base safely.
But in renewing their contract with Serco Maritime, the MoD reduced the price forcing the firm to consider reducing the services they offer and potentially cutting staff.
Serco is the only bidder for the work allowing the MoD to effectively decide on the price they pay due to a lack of competition.
Workers say the measures mean their jobs can’t be done safely and have accused the firm of keeping them in the dark about how their proposals will work in practice.
They said they’ve had no consultation and it would be impossible to offer the services the MoD needs with such a huge reduction in cost.
As well as providing towing and support vessels, the staff are also responsible for refuelling Navy ships, cleaning their tanks, helping passengers, working on sea trials and taking on nuclear safety services across all of the Royal Navy’s major ports.
Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, one of the UK’s four nuclear warhead-carrying submarines, with Astute-class submarine HMS Artful behind, at HM Naval Base Clyde, also known as Faslane.
According to the union, without their work the country’s naval defence capabilities would be greatly reduced
Alongside Faslane, workers at Devonport and Portsmouth bases in England are also considering whether to support strike action for the same reasons.
Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect union Sue Ferns said: “Our members don’t want to take industrial action but we need to be engaged on the new contract or there is a real danger that our fleet will not get the support it needs to function properly.
“We don’t believe the complexity of this contract has been taken into account by any party to the current decision process.
“It is concerning that this Government is using the last Government’s discredited procurement method when it should be looking at the wider benefits of a contract and not just baseline notional cost.”
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