Strikes set to hit arms factories could be start of a fightback

Leonardo manufactures lasers for F-35 fighter jets

Leonardo, an aerospace ­company—and one of the world’s largest arms manufacturers—faces a big challenge.

Unite union members at Leonardo factories in Edinburgh, Yeovil, Basildon, Newcastle and Luton were set to walk out in a dispute over pay on Wednesday.

But strikes may still be on the cards. If workers reject the offer, strikes will take place on 12-13 November in Yeovil, Luton and Basildon, and 10-18 November in Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Socialist Worker spoke to Jim, an activist and trade unionist at the Edinburgh factory. This site ­provides the laser ­targeting systems for F-35 fighter jets, which Israel uses for its genocide in Gaza.

“We’re in dispute because we’ve received a below inflation pay offer from a company that makes ­billions,” Jim told Socialist Worker.

“This isn’t the first time. There’s been a long history of below ­inflation offers.”

Headquartered in Italy, Leonardo had revenues of over £15.5 billion last year.

“We’ve already completely won the argument with the workforce. People are up for a fight,” Jim said.  “There’s real enthusiasm for it because ­everyone is really angry. They want a cost of living increase and a share of the profits.”

Since October 2023, ­activists have routinely blockaded the ­factory over the government’s ­failure to impose a full arms embargo on Israel.

Last month, Scotland Stop Arming Israel, Workers for a Free Palestine and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign staged a sit-in outside of the factory.

Workers in Britain’s arms ­industries have yet to play a more prominent role in stopping the flow of arms despite numerous protests at sites. 

But workers in factories that ­produce arms are in a ­contradictory position. Arms factories can often be the sole source of stable jobs in an area.

Unions such as Unite and GMB say that is why they demand more investment in the military. 

With many of those workers never having been on strike, they have not had the experience of fighting back together against the bosses who profit from war and genocide.

But strikes can build class confidence. A fight back on the picket line against low wages could be a starting point to
mobilise workers and demonstrate in practice what is possible when they take a stand together.

“There’s a lack of tradition of industrial action,” Jim said. “We need to get into the mindset that we are a collective.

“There’s a lot of new, young people who have never been out on strike. So, I’m hoping that the walkouts go ahead.

“This will shut down the whole site. That hasn’t happened since 1991.”

Jim added that “there is a real opportunity to learn lessons from this and to raise the bar for the whole trade union movement”.

This is a good starting point to then think about raising other demands—showing solidarity with Palestine and opposing Britain’s role in arming a genocide.

• Jim is a pseudonym