Met Office employees are to strike on 24 February in a dispute over pay.
Managers and specialists at the Met Office who are members of trade union Prospect are taking the industrial action to call for the government to give the Met Office more freedom in how it rewards and remunerates its staff.
The trade union claims that the government's pay policy restricts the Met Office's ability to narrow the gender pay gap, match pay rates in the private sector, and attract and retain talent.
Helen Stevens, negotiator at Prospect, said: “Prospect members do not take this action lightly. They are loyal and committed to their work but they believe that the current pay policy is damaging the Met Office and its ability to serve its customers.
“Prospect is simply calling on the government to give the Met Office the freedom to manage its own pay bill."
Steve Noyes, operations and customer services director at the Met Office, added: “The Met Office is aware that some members of staff intend to join the planned industrial action on 24 February 2016 and we recognise their right to take this action based on a legal mandate.”
