Parliamentary and campaigns officer Parmjit Dhanda helped organise an early day motion to be debated in the House on March 1. The motion already has fifteen signatures to it.

The motion is: “This house notes with concern that defence contractor QinetiQ has informed trade unions it is formally terminating trade union recognition and collective agreements with effect from the end of March 2012 with Prospect, Unite, PCS, and GMB; this House notes previous comments by QinetiQ’s CEO that unions have played a “crucial role” in negotiating and representing employees to reach “equitable solutions for all”; this House notes that QinetiQ receives an annual income of around £500m from contracts with the Ministry of Defence and calls on the Secretary of State for Defence to meet, as a matter of urgency, with unions involved with the aim of ensuring QinetiQ continues to recognise the trade unions and maintains collective bargaining.”

Dhanda said: “Jim Murphy, shadow defence secretary has agreed to meet us. Alison Seabeck MP (Plymouth Moor View) and a member of the Prospect parliamentary panel has requested a meeting with the company.

“The EDM will be tabled by Frank Doran MP. The next thing will be to work with other unions to lobby all MPs where there is a QinetiQ site and to organise a debate on de-recognition. Trade unions and employers can deliver a great deal for a company and its employees by working together. QinetiQ has crossed a line through crude union busting tactics, and we won't stand by and just watch them do it."