A POWER company has defended its record as a 'leading and caring employer' after staff successfully ballotted to strike.

Workers for Ørsted have agreed to conduct two 48-hour strikes this and next month after a strike ballot over pay succeeded.

The RMT has said that Ørsted Energy is proposing to implement a below inflation pay offer of 3.5 per cent for 2022. It asserts that the RMT asked the company for negotiations to discuss this issue and their 'reasonable' request was refused.

A spokesman for Ørsted said: ”Following a ballot of its 96 members working in our offshore wind operations team, the RMT union has notified us of its intention for those members to conduct two 48 hour strikes over pay and conditions of service beginning 23rd September and 30th September.  

”We have always committed to being a leading and caring employer, paying fair and competitive salaries to all our employees as part of our sector-leading employment agreements. We are conscious of the continuing inflationary pressures in the UK and have already committed to discussions with Prospect, with whom we have a formal Trade Union recognition agreement for negotiating terms and conditions of employment for Ørsted’s UK wind operations and maintenance staff.”

Members of the RMT Union have been instructed not to book on for any shifts between Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24; and Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "Let’s hope that this action will focus management’s minds and get them back round the table to resolve this matter.

"You should be rewarded with a fair pay increase and genuine improvements to your terms and conditions. Management probably believe that you are not prepared to fight for pay justice, it is time to prove them wrong."