Officers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are to strike on Portland tomorrow in a dispute over pay.

Union Nautilus said its members will maintain a presence on the Island and near Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead, Whale Island, Portsmouth throughout the day

The strike follows a period of action short of strikes since June.

The union said its members are angry at an imposed 4.5 per cent pay offer for 2023/24.

This is the first time in the history of the RFA that officers will carry out strike action.

Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray said: “Our members are fed up. For too long, the RFA, the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence have relied on the goodwill of our members to carry out essential operations.

“The pay offer for 2023/24 and the real-terms pay cut of over 30 per cent since 2010 has made this goodwill no longer tenable.

“The key message from our members is simple: they are overworked, underpaid and undervalued.

“The only way to solve this dispute is with a pay offer that recognises the high rate of inflation and begins a pathway to pay restoration.

“This strike will make history, but not in a good way for an already crippled RFA.

“Nautilus is committed to finding a resolution as quickly as possible, but we will not allow our members to be taken for granted any longer.”