STAFF working for offshore wind giant Orsted at two sites across north-west England are set for strike action over pay, their union has announced.

Workers based at the Danish-owned company’s sites in Birkenhead, Merseyside and Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, will begin a 48-hour strike on Friday, the RMT said.

The dispute, which will include a further two-day walkout beginning on September 30, follows what RMT branded a “paltry” below-inflation wage offer of just 3.5 per cent for employees in the operations team.

The firm, which reported £664 million of profit in April, can “easily afford a pay rise [but] has done little to help to settle the dispute by refusing to meet the union,” RMT said. 

General secretary Mick Lynch said: “The obscene profits being made at Orsted show 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 RMT and our members will not stand for it.

“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 tomorrow.”

Its members have also voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a separate dispute over the alleged victimisation of a fellow worker at the company.

The employee has been subject to detrimental treatment by bosses after reporting health and safety concerns, according to the union.

An Orsted spokesman claimed: “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 continuing inflationary pressures and have already committed to discussions with [professionals’ union] Prospect, with whom we have a formal union recognition agreement.”