Workers at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant are to stage a fresh strike in a dispute over pay.
Members of Unite will walk out on November 22 following a stoppage on Tuesday, in protest at an imposed 1.5% wage increase.
Unite, which represents more than 1,100 craft workers at the Cumbria plant, claimed that government ministers were “hampering” the Sellafield management from reaching a settlement.
Regional officer Graham Williams said more industrial action could be held in the run up to Christmas if the dispute remained unresolved.
He said: “Unite has consistently stated that a pay deal is being obstructed by the invisible hand of ministers.
“The Sellafield management needs to assert themselves and remove this roadblock to a pay deal.
“Our members are highly skilled professionals who have greatly contributed to making large savings at Sellafield and they have been repaid by a derisory pay offer lagging way behind the rising level of inflation.”
Unite said it would maintain a skeleton staff during the strike.