UK's Bilfinger Offshore Workers Cancel Strikes After Accepting Improved Wage Offer - Union

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2023) UK trade union Unite has announced that 700 offshore workers at the Bilfinger civil engineering company have accepted an improved pay offer and decided to call off further strikes planned for June 8-10 after receiving a further 6% pay rise on top of the previous pay raise.

"Unite the union confirmed today (8 June) that over 700 offshore members at Bilfinger UK Limited have accepted a 'vastly' improved wage offer bringing the pay dispute to an end ... The Bilfinger contractors were scheduled to participate in the two recent rounds of offshore strike action starting on 1 June and ending on 3 June, and then from today (8 June) to 10 June. However, the industrial action was suspended to allow a vote on the improved wage offer by Bilfinger," the union said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement also said the union's Bilfinger members had accepted a further 6% increase in basic pay, on top of 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 per cent for some members in less than a year," it added.

The United Kingdom has seen a series of public sector strikes in recent months as people express their discontent with the worsening economic situation caused by rising energy prices and soaring inflation in the country. Rail, post office, airport and legal workers, among others, have taken part in the demonstrations.