British trade union Unite recently announced that more than 700 offshore members of Bilfinger UK Limited have accepted a “vastly improved” pay offer.
The development ends a pay dispute between workers and the company, Unite said in a statement posted on its website.
Unite’s Bilfinger members accepted a further six per cent increase in basic pay on top of a four per cent rise in January 2023, Unite highlighted in the statement, adding that, with other ” increases” made by Bilfinger in November 2022, the increase in basic pay has been increased by up to 19 percent for some members in less than a year.
The deal means a £5.15 ($6.46) increase in hourly pay for an advanced scaffolder and is the highest ever annual wage increase in the North Sea for scaffolding contractors. Bilfinger, Unite noted in the statement. The union said Bilfinger had initially refused to increase pay above the base rate set out in the Energy Services Agreement (ESA) for 2022. The ESA last year agreed a four per cent, the union noted.
Unite noted that Bilfinger contractors were scheduled to take part in two recent rounds of offshore strike action that began on June 1 and will end on June 3, and then on June 8-10. This industrial action was suspended to allow a vote on the pay improvement. offer from Bilfinger, the syndicate revealed.
“Unite has secured a much improved pay deal for our Bilfinger members,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said in a union statement.
“The deal only came about because of our members’ determination to get a fairer pay offer demonstrated by their bravery in going on strike,” Graham added.
“The agreement shows that workers can take on oil and gas operators and contractors and win. Unite will always support our offshore members fighting for good jobs, pay and conditions,” continued Graham.
Unite Industrial officer Shauna Wright said: “Unite has won a good deal for more than 700 Bilfinger workers, which is the company’s biggest ever annual pay rise.”
“It represents a 10 per cent pay rise this year and, since last November, it actually means we’ve increased basic hourly pay by up to 19 per cent for some of our members,” Wright added.
“It’s a great result that has only come about because of the determination and strength of our members,” continued Wright.
Asked for comment on Unite’s latest statement, a Bilfinger spokesperson told Rigzone: “We are delighted to have worked with Unite to put forward an offer that our colleagues and customers agreed best supports our workers and their families.”
“We are fully committed to engaging with unions on employment issues, outside and during periods of industrial action, and will continue to work with them to deliver solutions that are right for our people, our customers and our business,” he said. add spokesperson .
“This agreement allows our employees and our organization, as co-signatories of the Energy Services Agreement, to work together to ensure a safe and sustainable oil and gas industry and energy sector for the future,” the spokesperson said. .
Last month, Unite confirmed around 1,650 contractors would start two rounds of 48-hour strikes in June.
In a statement posted on its website in May, the union revealed that, at five companies, contractors would participate in a strike from June 1, at 6:30 a.m. local time, until June 3, at at 6:29 a.m., and from June 8 until 6:29 a.m. June 10 at the same time.
The union noted at the time that the prospective action included electrical, production and mechanical technicians, as well as deck crew, scaffolders, crane operators, pipe fitters, planters and riggers working for Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork Technical Services and Sparrows Offshore Services.
In a separate statement posted on its site the same month, Unite announced that around 600 Bilfinger contractors from the Ithaca, CNRI and TAQA assets had rejected new pay offers.
In April, Unite revealed that 1,300 offshore workers would begin a 48-hour strike from 24 April.
Based in London, Unite describes itself as the leading trade union in the UK and Ireland. The union is active in all sectors of the economy, according to its website.
Bilfinger UK describes itself as a leading engineering and maintenance provider supporting customers in the chemical and petrochemical, nuclear, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, power and energy, utilities, renewables and food and beverage markets.
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