Around 20 offshore workers employed by Bilfinger on North Sea assets operated by Ithaca Energy are set to launch eight days of strike action in June over a pay dispute.
According to trade union Unite, the industrial action follows Ithaca Energy's refusal to extend a retention bonus to Bilfinger contractors working on the Alba FSU floating storage unit and the FPF-1 floating production facility.
Strike action on the Alba FSU is scheduled to run from June 4 until June 7, followed by a second walkout on the FPF-1 from June 9 until June 12.
The union reported that previous industrial action was postponed to allow for negotiations, but subsequent talks with Bilfinger and Ithaca Energy yielded minimal progress.
It claimed that Ithaca Energy has excluded Bilfinger contractors, who include scaffolders, engineers, deck crew, and rope access workers, from a bonus scheme that is paid to other workers on the same assets.
Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, stated, "Ithaca Energy and Bilfinger are incredibly wealthy companies that can fully afford to pay the retention bonus to our members."
Highlighting the financial positions of the employers, the union pointed to Ithaca Energy's February 2026 trading update which reported a pre-tax profit of $2 billion, rising from $1.4 billion in 2024.
Over the same period, Bilfinger UK posted a profit of £17.7 million ($23.8 million) for 2024, up from £14 million in 2023.
Paula Buchan, Industrial Officer at Unite, warned that the industrial action will have a significant impact on the daily operations of both offshore assets.
