STAFF working at Sellafield have been told they will not be paid a bonus next month after the company forecast to miss its targets.

GMB members have already submitted a formal grievance against the move, while Unite is waiting to receive more information on the reasons for the company’s stance before it decides how to respond.

A spokesman for Sellafield ltd said the bonus is normally paid in two instalments, one in December and one in May.

“The December payment is based on a forecast of the targets we will achieve by the end of the year.

“Currently, we have insufficient confidence in our forecast financial performance to trigger a December payment.

“In these circumstances, it would not be right to pay out a bonus we have not yet earnt.

“We can still achieve our targets and earn our end of year bonus in May. We will be redoubling our efforts in the second half of the year to ensure we achieve the challenging targets we’ve set ourselves,” he said. Targets involve efficiency for taxpayers.