Potential strike action among hundreds of
construction workers building the new Hinkley Point nuclear power
station has been averted after workers overwhelmingly voted for
an improved pay deal.
The construction unions GMB and Unite had been
preparing for strike action since members overwhelmingly voted
last month to reject the previous offer.
The client EDF and the main contractor BYLOR (the
principal contractor Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues TP) then
proposed a revised offer.
Under the revised offer workers will be receiving pay
levels that are up to 36 per cent above the minimum pay rates
agreed by the Construction Industry Joint Council (the principal
national agreement for the civil engineering
sector).
By incorporating a large amount of the previous bonus
payments into the basic rate, workers will see holiday pay,
overtime rates and pension contributions
increase.
Workers will also receive back pay from the period
between 1 January 2017 and 31 May 2017, when the interim bonus
scheme was introduced.
The dispute had been rumbling since the spring and
concerned the pay of workers undertaking the civil engineering
side of the project.
There are over a 1,000 workers engaged on the civil
engineering project at Hinkley Point and the development is the
largest construction site in Europe.
Phil Whitehurst, GMB National Officer,
said:
"GMB members have voted, in a very positive and
responsible manner, to accept EDF's final
offer.
"The employers side in the negotiation should have
declared their hand way before January 2017, but chose to take it
to the wire.
“This could have resulted in a trade dispute which
would have had devastating consequences to this prestigious
project.
"Let's now hope that an open and transparent
relationship will precipitate from this on the civil construction
phase of HPC."
Adie Baker, GMB regional officer,
said:
“GMB members can concentrate on the future now this
long running dispute, which had threatened to disrupt progress on
the project, has been resolved.
“We will now ensure the negotiated agreements are
fully implemented and those members eligible for back payments
receive every penny that they are entitled
to.”
Unite regional secretary, Peter Hughes
said:
“This is a landmark agreement which will now set the
benchmark for pay rates on flagship construction projects
throughout the UK.
“The pay rates agreed at Hinkley Point will provide a
significant boost to the local economy and together with the
ambitious apprenticeship programme on the project, will generate
much needed skills boost and investment in the south west
region.
“The determination of EDF to broker a deal was
critical in ensuring the pay negotiations were satisfactorily
resolved.”
Unite’s lead convenor at Hinkley Point
Malcolm Davies said:
"The negotiations have been protracted but the unity
of the workers on the project has ensured that we have finally
arrived at a pay deal which properly financially rewards the
workforce.
“Unite will continue to ensure that workers at
Hinkley are treated fairly and decently and hopefully we are now
entering a period of industrial harmony.”
