Staff at a British company responsible for developing nuclear warheads will vote on whether to strike in a dispute over pay, a union said on Wednesday, as rising inflation spurs more industrial unrest.

The Prospect union said a ballot for its members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) would open on Oct. 24 and run for two weeks after its members rejected a 5% pay award. An additional lump sum payment offered was still inadequate and failed to address a real-terms pay reduction, it added.

"Safely maintaining the UK's nuclear deterrent is a complex and highly stressful operation that requires an extremely high level of dedication and training at all levels," Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said in a statement.

"It should attract a commensurate level of pay and respect for these staff who keep the country safe."

Labour disputes and industrial unrest have swept a range of professions in Britain this year - from lawyers and teachers to pilots, rail staff and dockworkers - as rising costs of living outpace pay rises.

Inflation in September remained at a 40-year-high of 10.1% in September, data showed on Wednesday.

The AWE, an arm's length public body owned by the Ministry of Defence, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, in southern England, it develops and maintains nuclear warheads for Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. ($1 = 0.8863 pounds) (Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, editing by William James and Alex Richardson)