Workers at Qioptiq in St Asaph have overwhelmingly accepted a new two-year pay agreement worth eight per cent after their unions threatened industrial action over an earlier offer.

The settlement brings an end to a dispute that had seen members of Unite and GMB vote in favour of strike action after rejecting the company’s original three per cent pay proposal.

Under the new agreement, employees will receive a 3.5 per cent pay rise in the first year, alongside a 1.5 per cent bonus to be paid in December and additional annual leave. A further 4.5 per cent pay increase will follow in the second year, taking the overall package to eight per cent.

As a result of the agreement, planned strike action has now been cancelled.

Qioptiq, based in St Asaph, is one of North Wales’ most significant advanced manufacturing employers. The company designs and manufactures high-precision optical systems used in defence applications, including avionics, night vision equipment and weapon sights. Its products support military programmes in the UK and overseas, making the site an important part of the region’s defence and high-tech manufacturing sector.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham welcomed the outcome, saying: “This is a great win for our members at Qioptiq. It shows the power of the union and what happens when workers are willing to take strike action to further their goals against an employer who’d previously made a poor pay offer.”

The improved deal comes after weeks of uncertainty over the future of industrial relations at the Denbighshire site. Union members had argued the original offer failed to reflect both the specialist nature of their work and the continued pressures on household finances.

With the revised agreement now approved, staff will receive the enhanced pay package and additional benefits while production continues uninterrupted at one of North Wales’ key defence manufacturing facilities.