UK trade unions - Community, Unite, GMB and UCATT - today announced "strike action" against Tata Steel over its proposal to scrap the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS).
This is the biggest strike action call in the UK's steel industry in over three decades.
"Steel unions have agreed Monday June 22 as the date for strike action at Tata Steel in their ongoing pensions dispute," Community, which has the largest number of members who are employed at Tata Steel, said in a statement.
All four unions together represent a large chunk of Tata Steel's 17,000 employees in the UK.
"The strike action will be preceded by an action short of strike action involving an overtime ban and a work to rule. The action short of strike action will begin as soon as legally practical, around the middle of next week," Community said.
The decision was taken today at the National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee, which brings together Community, Unite, GMB and UCATT. Unions have to give a notice of 7-days before initiating a 'strike' or 'short of a strike'.
Last week, Unite joined three others -- Community, GMB and UCATT -- to vote in favour of a "strike action" against Tata Steel.
"Tata have given us no option but to take industrial action. The company has not shown any willingness to return to meaningful negotiations to find an end to this dispute. Our members are determined to stand up for their pensions," Chair of the National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee Roy Rickhuss said.
Tata Steel said: "We have been trying to develop an affordable and sustainable pension scheme for employees so we are very disappointed by today's announcement on strike and industrial action."
The company said in a statement that based on the feedback it received from the employees it will soon announce "new measures which will lessen the impact of the proposed pension changes".
