Hundreds of Bilfinger offshore workers accept new pay deal, averting strikes

A pay dispute involving hundreds of offshore workers at Bilfinger UK has ended.

The Unite union said more than 700 of its members agreed to ‘vastly’ improved wage offer. The deal included a further 6% increase on basic pay in addition to the 4% increase in January 2023. With other uplifts made by Bilfinger in November 2022, the increase in basic pay has been lifted by up to 19% for some workers in less than a year, Unite said.

The Bilfinger contractors had been scheduled to take part in a recent round of offshore strike action again this week. However, they had suspended their involvement to allow a vote on the offer from Bilfinger.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Unite has secured a vastly improved wage deal for our Bilfinger members. The deal only came about due to the determination of our members to secure a fairer wage offer demonstrated by their bravery in taking strike action. The deal shows that workers can take on the oil and gas operators and contractors, and win.”