Prospect trade union has agreed a landmark recognition agreement with leading offshore wind company Ørsted UK, that will cover all employees involved in the operation and maintenance of its 12 UK offshore wind farms.

The agreement will see Prospect recognised as the sole negotiating body for the terms and conditions of around 450 of Ørsted’s Operations & Maintenance staff, based at sites across the UK including Barrow, Grimsby, Liverpool and Brightlingsea.

Both Ørsted and Prospect are committed to building a highly technically-capable workforce with sustainable careers and competitive terms and conditions. Prospect has extensive experience working with the energy sector – including in renewables and offshore – now representing more than 20,000 energy workers, in some of the same areas where Ørsted’s sites are based.

In August and September, Prospect will be at Ørsted’s offshore operations sites, in Barrow, Grimsby, Liverpool and Brightlingsea for facilitated meetings to introduce the union and to provide the opportunity to join as a recognised union member.

Duncan Clark, Head of Region UK at Ørsted, said:

“When developing this partnership, Prospect and Ørsted have found strong alignment of values, ambition and experience in the energy sector. Prospect is well-established in the offshore wind sector, priding itself on empowering and upskilling highly technical roles whilst also having a strong reputation for establishing fair and equitable terms and conditions for employees. Prospect will work with our successful Employee Engagement Forum to support their ongoing work representing our offshore wind operations teams as well as providing specific support to individuals who choose to join Prospect as a recognised member. We believe our partnership with Prospect will complement the ongoing and forthcoming work on a range of complex and challenging tasks, ensuring Ørsted is best positioned for the future growth of the offshore wind sector as the UK aims to have 50GW installed by 2030.”

Prospect trade union Senior Deputy General Secretary Sue Ferns said:

“This landmark recognition agreement with Ørsted demonstrates Prospect’s commitment to securing a just transition for workers in the energy sector. It shows that employers and unions can work together constructively to meet the country’s greatest challenges and sets an example to the rest of the renewables sector. Wind power will play a critical role in securing an energy secure, net zero future for the UK and through this agreement we will ensure that the workers delivering that change have the best possible terms and conditions at work. We are a growing and ambitious union in renewable energy and we are working hard to increase our membership and recognition across the sector.”

Ørsted is a global leader in offshore wind, with its 12 operational offshore wind farms producing enough green energy to power over 4.4 million UK homes a year. This will rise to 5.5 million homes later this year when Hornsea Two (off the Yorkshire coast) becomes fully operational. By 2025, Ørsted aims to power 30 million people worldwide with energy produced by their offshore wind farms.

Prospect currently has more than 150,000 members, with 22,000 members working in every part of the UK’s energy sector. It has been campaigning for a just transition for workers in the sector. It is calling on the Government to achieve its Net Zero goals with investment in skills and infrastructure that deliver high-quality jobs and employment for communities across the country.

The UK is one of the world leaders in offshore wind and is home to the world’s largest offshore wind farms. Offshore wind powers over 7.5 million UK homes a year and is set to become the backbone of a clean, reliable and affordable energy system, providing about a third of the UK’s electricity by 2030.

Ørsted

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants, and provides energy products to its customers. Ørsted ranks #1 in Corporate Knights' 2020 index of the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A List as a global leader on climate action. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 6,600 people. Ørsted's shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2019, the group's revenue was DKK 67.8 billion (EUR 9.1 billion).

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