Thousands of construction workers at major energy sites across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ have voted to strike in a dispute over pay.
The action could include up to 3,000 workers at Stanlow, Fawley, Valero, Grangemouth and Mossmorran oil refineries, as well as at Sellafield Nuclear Facility. Strike votes are also expected at Drax and Hartlepool nuclear power station in the coming days, the GMB union has said.
The workers, who are covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI), voted to turn down a pay deal 8.5% for 2024 and 3.5% for 2025. More than 50 GMB and Unite representatives from across the industry will now meet to discuss next steps.
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READ MORE: Hundreds of Stanlow Essar oil refinery works to vote on strike action in pay dispute
GMB national officer Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said: "'Our members' pay has fallen over 20% behind inflation. The employers have forced our members into a position where they are taking part in industrial action ballots of this scale for the first time in their careers. The message from the workforce is loud and clear: value their work."
In a statement issued last month, a spokesman for Essar Oil said: "We are aware of the ongoing dispute between the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA) and Unite regarding the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI).
"Essar is not party to these negotiations and Essar employees will not be taking part in this industrial action ballot."
