Bilfinger workers on multi-day strike mission at Ithaca’s North Sea assets over pay dispute

June 2, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Multiple offshore members employed by Bilfinger are set to kick off multi-day industrial action due to a dispute over pay, which will lead to an eight-day stoppage at a floating storage unit (FSU) and a floating production facility (FPF) on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

Britain’s Unite the union has confirmed that around 20 of its members employed by Bilfinger on the Ithaca Energy-operated FSU Alba and FPF-1 assets in the North Sea are going to begin eight days of disruption this month.

The strike action, prompted by a dispute over the operator’s refusal to extend a retention bonus to offshore workers, will last from June 4 until the end of June 7, 2026, on the Alba unit, followed by four days of action on the FPF1 from June 9 to close of play on June 12.

Sharon Graham, Unite’s General Secretary, commented: “Ithaca Energy and Bilfinger are incredibly wealthy companies that can fully afford to pay the retention bonus to our members.

“The payment is a drop in the North Sea to Ithaca Energy which is making billions. Our members have been left with no option by these greedy companies but to take strike action to get what they deserve.”

After the previous industrial action was postponed to allow talks to take place with Bilfinger, the union emphasized that there was minimal progress from the company or Ithaca Energy on the payment to the workers.

Unite claims that Ithaca Energy excluded the Bilfinger employees, who include scaffolders, engineers, deck, and rope access workers, from the bonus scheme, with workers of other companies on the same assets in receipt of the bonus payment.

The operator’s trading update in February 2026 highlighted $2 billion profit before tax, up from $1.4 billion in 2024, while Bilfinger UK further posted profits of £17.7 million ($23.8 million) in 2024, an uptick from £14 million ($18.8 million) in 2023.

Paula Buchan, Unite’s Industrial Officer, underlined: “Unite has tried to get Ithaca Energy as the ultimate paymasters and Bilfinger around the table to get a positive resolution to this dispute. It’s unacceptable that our members are being denied a payment which other companies are paying to workers on these assets.

“Strikes on the Alba FSU and FPF1 will have a significant impact on the day-to-day operations of these assets. We will also escalate this action if Ithaca Energy and Bilfinger refuse to see sense.”

This comes after Unite announced an industrial action ballot for offshore workers on Neo Next + Energy’s Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms.