German trade union IG Metall and Orsted have reached a collective agreement for the Danish developer’s Norddeich hub, ending industrial action at the site.
Negotiations between the company and IG Metall started in January 2023. In the meantime, IG Metall had called for five warning strikes.
On 3 April, the employers submitted what they considered an improved offer, which brought the breakthrough in the negotiations on 10 April.
“The union members approved the present result on Thursday evening and means further elaborations for the company collective agreement can be addressed,” said the union.
The management of the German Orsted company, Helle Sehested and Jörg Kubitza, were very pleased a settlement had been reached, it added.
“This is a milestone for the offshore wind power industry. For the first time there will be a collective agreement for the employees of an offshore wind farm operator,” said Kubitza.
“The negotiations over the last few months have also shown how complex the issues were. We are therefore very happy that IG Metall, as a fair negotiating partner, has understood the challenges of our industry and that we have reached a solution that is viable for both sides.”
Sehested said: “This collective agreement has many advantages for the employees at the Norddeich site, such as: a more transparent salary system including salary increases, shorter working hours and higher bonuses.
“It was important for the company management to continue to be seen as a fair employer. However, we also want to have planning security and not endanger the economic viability of the location. With this negotiation result we have achieved these goals.”
IG Metall’s Emden Thomas Preuß said: “This collective agreement is an important milestone for the wind industry; we can only congratulate the employees on this collective agreement result.
“Ultimately, the employees have shown with their five warning strikes that they want to work under collective bargaining conditions. We have now succeeded in this and we are satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations.”
Works council leaders Julian Pohl and Timo Röpkes added: “The works council welcomes the result as it represents a solid foundation for further driving forward the positive development of the Norddeich location.
“We are satisfied with the result and the solidarity of our colleagues during the warning strikes and are pleased about entering the collective bargaining landscape.”