THOUSANDS of engineering construction workers will benefit from a two-year pay rise worth a minimum of 17.4%, Unite the union has announced.
The deal, which includes a range of other benefits, was secured after Unite balloted 3,000 of its members who operate under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI).
Unite’s NAECI members carry out essential repair and maintenance at oil refineries, power stations and pharmaceutical and petro-chemical plants.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “This outstanding deal was achieved because our members knew the NAECI employers could not ignore their demands if they acted collectively. Across the construction industry and beyond, Unite’s unrelenting focus on improving jobs, pay and conditions is winning for our members.”
The workers will receive an 11.3% rise from January 2024 and at least 5.5% from January 2025, a compound increase of at least 17.4%.
The deal was described by Unite as a ‘substantial’ increase on the initial offer for 2024 and 2025, which was 8.5% and 3.5% respectively.
Improvements to sickness and accident benefit, the London overnight supplement and the introduction of a £1 an hour London rate enhancement as well as pension, productivity and apprenticeship reviews are also included in the deal.
