ORSTED ENERGY WORKERS STRIKE

Offshore workers protested outside Orsted headquarters last month in a bid to end a pay dispute which has seen numerous days of strike action. RMT members at Orsted, which is 51 per cent owned by the Danish government, rejected a paltry pay offer and are set to take further strike action unless management reverses its position. An RMT member has also been subject to detrimental treatment by Orsted, after reporting health and safety concerns, which were subject to a health and safety executive investigation. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the obscene profits being made at Orsted revealed that this dispute could be settled if the company sat down with the union and negotiated in good faith. "Instead, they are trying to shut out the RMT and our members will not stand for it. "Orsted workers take pride in the vital work they do but they will not be made poorer by a company that could give them a cost of living pay rise now," he said. In a letter to the Danish government, which was handed to the Danish embassy, the union wrote: "As you know, Ørsted is a success story in the offshore wind sector and my members are clearly committed to maintaining this record. Indeed, we note that the company recorded a profit of £644 million in the first quarter of this year, a staggering 257 per cent increase on Q1 in 2021 which is testimony to the hard work and commitment of Ørsted’s workers, from the turbine technicians harnessing the elements in the Irish Sea to executives in Skærbæk. "You will also be aware that workers and communities in the UK today, including my members at Ørsted are facing a particularly acute cost of living crisis due, in large part to record inflation rates and the extreme economic policies of the current Conservative government. "In these circumstances, it can have come as no surprise to anyone that my members overwhelmingly rejected Ørsted’s derisory offer of a 3.5 per cent pay increase. "We are extremely concerned at the disrespectful behaviour of management at Ørsted’s facilities in Birkenhead, Grimsby, Barrow and Brightlingsea who are refusing to engage with RMT representatives following members’ rejection of the pay offer, effectively triggering the current dispute. We know from our comrades in the Danish trade unions that this sort of outrageous behaviour toward a trade union would simply not be tolerated in Denmark. "Therefore, an intervention by Ministers in the Danish government to instruct Ørsted’s management in the UK to engage with the RMT on this pay dispute would be welcome. I would appreciate your support in conveying this message to Ministers and senior Ørsted officials in Denmark," the letter said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2022 :: RMTnews 14 PROTEST: Handing letter collected by the Danish Embassy Commercial Counsellor ORSTED ENERGY WORKERS STRIKE Union writes to Danish government to demand the offshore energy company deals with low pay