Around 300 Siemens Gamesa workers in the firm’s Hull wind turbine factory are being balloted for strike action over pay, the UK’s biggest union Unite said today.
The union said its members, who construct 108 metre long wind turbine blades by hand, are angry at a 4.5 per cent pay offer, plus an opaque incentive scheme.
The union claims that since 2018, wages at the factory on the banks of the Humber estuary have dropped by 11.9 per cent in real terms. This is due to below RPI inflation pay rises and the suppression of wages through a performance-related bonus scheme.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Siemens is a colossally profitable company, yet wages at its Hull factory have fallen in real terms year on year.
“The company is using the bonus scheme to suppress wages and the workforce have had enough”, Graham went on. “Unite does not accept attacks on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Siemens’ Hull workers have their union’s total backing.”
The union says Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy made £394 million in profits over the last five years, paying out two dividends worth £226 million during the same period. The company’s revenue is expected to double in 2024 to £1.5 billion, with pre-tax profits on course to hit £100 million for the year.
The company is part of the Humber Freeport Zone and benefits from a range of economic incentives as normal tax and customs rules do not apply. It is ultimately owned by Siemens Energy AG which made pre-tax profits of more than €8.5 billion in 2023.
The workers are being balloted for strike action until July 24, with strikes set to be scheduled shortly after. Unite says industrial action in Hull will severely affect the plant’s operations, causing significant knock-on delays in building the East Anglia 3 and Moray West offshore windfarms.
Unite regional co-ordinating officer Harriet Eisner said: “Siemens Gamesa is set to cause huge disruption to its clients, which are constructing vital offshore windfarms, due to its own greed. There is still time to avoid industrial action, but that requires an offer from the company that is acceptable to our members.”
A Siemens Energy spokesperson said: “We are in ongoing negotiations with Unite and are therefore surprised by the timing of this communication. We believe that negotiation is the best way to resolve any disagreement and are confident that we can reach agreement before any further action is taken.”
