THE first of two 48-hour strikes at a Hampshire energy cable company over a “paltry” below-inflation pay offer will go ahead today, according to Unite.

Around 160 workers at Prysmian Cables & Systems in Eastleigh will go on strike after rejecting a 2 per cent offer for the year starting last January. The retail price index (RPI) is at 3.3 per cent.

The second 48-hour stoppage is still scheduled for November 7-8. Five days of strike action have already been taken since September 26.

Talks between Unite and management with conciliation service Acas could happen later this week.

The union’s regional coordinating officer Debbie Watson said: “The strike is going ahead as we were unable to get a firm offer of talks from the management in time to suspend the industrial action.

“The company finally contacted Acas yesterday and we are now waiting for Acas to give us a date for talks.

“It’s a shame the company didn’t do this last week, as we have been standing by since then in the hope that the management will sit down and negotiate constructively over the paltry pay offer – and this now looks like it is going to happen.”