Chessington World of Adventures faces "ride closures and disruption" this spring and summer if threatened strike action goes ahead, a leading union has warned. Engineers working at the popular resort in Greater London are voting on whether they want to strike, in a huge dispute over pay.

The engineers, who are all members of Unite, could go on strike as early as the end of next month if they vote in favour of the action. They are demanding a pay rise in line with the real inflation rate instead of a "real terms pay cut" which Unite claims their employer is proposing.

Unite said the engineers are "totally responsible for the safe running of the park". The union added they are fully trained in ensuring the rides operate safely and that safety systems are fully functioning.

Chessington told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it is in ongoing talks with Unite and believes it has proposed a "fair and reasonable pay offer". The resort added it is keen to resolve the issue as soon as possible but it has plans to deliver the same "high-quality guest experience and robust safety measures" if strikes went ahead.

Chessington is a theme park, zoo and hotel complex in the borough of Kingston. It is owned by Merlin Entertainments which recorded an operating profit of £87million in its resort theme parks division in 2021, according to its latest published financial results.  

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: "Merlin Attractions is a highly profitable company that could and should be offering a decent pay rise to its engineers, who are dedicated to keeping the park operating safely. Unite is wholly dedicated to enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members. Our members at Chessington World [of] Adventure will receive Unite's complete support."

Lui D'Cunha, Unite regional officer, added: "Strike action will inevitably cause extreme disruption to the operation of Chessington World of Adventure but this dispute is entirely of the employer's own making. It has had every opportunity to resolve this dispute through negotiations but has chosen not to. Our members are simply seeking a pay increase in line with the real inflation rate." The strike ballot closes on April 12.

A spokesperson for Chessington World of Adventures Resort said: "We are having ongoing conversations with Unite regarding our engineering team, proposing what we believe is a fair and reasonable pay offer. Showing support, respect and collaboration is very important to us and we have taken all feedback received very seriously, however, we have been unable to reach an agreement to date.

"We are committed to reaching an agreement that is feasible for the business. We are open to further discussions and are keen to resolve this matter as soon as possible, so this doesn't impact the thousands of guests we welcome to the resort each year.

"We are currently waiting the result of the ballot on industrial action. If a strike were to take place, the safety of our guests is our top priority, and we have comprehensive plans in place to ensure we deliver the same high-quality guest experience and robust safety measures."