Wind turbine workers at Hull’s Siemens Gamesa blade plant balloted for strike action over pay

Around 300 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine workers in Hull are being balloted for strike action over pay, the Unite union said today (Friday, July 12).

The workers, who construct 108m-long wind turbine blades by hand, are angry at a 4.5 per cent pay offer plus an opaque incentive scheme, according to Unite. Since 2018, wages at the factory on the banks of the Humber estuary have dropped by 11.9 per cent in real terms, it said.

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.

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“Unite does not accept attacks on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Siemens’ Hull workers have their union’s total backing.” Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), which owns the factory, made £394m in profits over the last five years and paid out two dividends worth £226m during the same period, a report by Unite said.

SGRE’s revenue is expected to double in 2024 to £1.5bn, with pre-tax profits on course to hit £100m for the year, the union said, adding that the company – part of the Humber Freeport Zone and benefiting from a range of economic incentives - is ultimately owned by Siemens Energy AG, which made pre-tax profits of more than €8.5bn in 2023.

The workers are being balloted for strike action until Wednesday, July 24, with strikes set to be scheduled shortly after. Industrial action will “severely impact operations at the plant” and would cause “significant disruption to the construction of the East Anglia 3 and Moray West offshore windfarms”, Unite said.

Harriet Eisner, the union’s regional co-ordinating officer, 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.”