Nuclear power plant strikes postponed while workers consider new pay offer

Nuclear power plant staff have postponed a planned strike as they consider a new pay offer.

Workers from the Prospect, GMB and Unite trade unions have confirmed they will not participate in the walkout on May 1 and 2 at the Dounreay complex in Caithness, Highlands.

A work to rule policy, which means staff will not work more than their contractual obligations, was expected to follow after that.

A previous pay offer of 4.5% backdated to April 2023 was previously rejected by workers.

The Dounreay workforce is employed by the Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS), which recently changed its trading name from Magnox Ltd.

Craft technicians, general operators, chemical and electrical engineers, and maintenance fitters and safety advisers will walk out.

All three unions have confirmed they are considering the new offer, with a Prospect spokesperson stating the decision was taken to allow members to “consider” the offer by the employer.

The statement added: “This offer has come about because of the strength of our members’ collective action.”

The plant is in the process of being decommissioned for future generations and workers are tasked with cleaning up the Caithness complex, which operated as a nuclear plant from 1955 until 1994.