Construction sites across Britain could come to a standstill if crane drivers at a major company vote for strike action.

Over 180 UCATT members at crane company HTC Plant Limited have been sent ballot papers in a dispute over pay. The crane drivers are angry that the company is not prepared to restore pay in real terms to the levels they were at before the 2008 recession.

The union said crane drivers at HTC have endured several, pay freezes and also had many of their allowances cut.

The drivers are being balloted on whether they would support strike action and industrial action short of strike action.

Major contractors who would be affected by the industrial action include: Kier, Lend Lease, Bam, Costain, Mace and Vinci.

High profile projects that HTC are working on include: Crossrail, the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston and the London Bridge redevelopment.

Steve Murphy, general secretary of construction union UCATT, said: “Crane drivers are fed up. They have endured years of pay cuts and seen their pay fall in real terms. The industry is booming but their employers are not prepared to pay up.”

Mr Murphy added: “Strike action by crane drivers will cause chaos across construction sites. HTC should return to the negotiating table with a dramatically improved offer.”

This dispute could be the first of many involving pay rates at crane companies.

The ballot closes on Monday 27th October 2014.