Members of the Unite union have announced that they are joining the GMB union to take “substantial strike action” at the Exxon Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire, later this month.
The dispute involves over 130 Unite members employed on construction engineering maintenance contracts. The workforce is split between three contractors: Altrad, Bilfinger and Enerveo.
Unite said the dispute arose due to the “rampant” inflation rate. The workers, who are employed under the NAECI (National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry) agreement, were seeking to secure the maximum bonus of £2.37 an hour, to offset inflation. The employers, however, refused to pay the bonus.
Strike action will take place initially from Monday, November 21 until Saturday November 26 with a further strike from Monday November 28 until Saturday December 3.
In a statement regarding the dispute between the GMB and Unite unions and Altrad, Bilfinger and Enerveo, ExxonMobil responded: “This matter involves staff employed by contracting companies onsite and relates to ongoing discussions over an incentive payment as part of nationally-agreed terms and conditions.
“We are disappointed at the outcome of the ballot and encourage union representatives to continue to work with employers to reach a resolution.
“We have a large and flexible workforce at Fawley and have resource plans to cover a range of scenarios.
“We do not anticipate any customer impact should action occur.”
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