Engineering construction roles at EDF’s seven power stations – Hartlepool, Torness, Heysham 1 and 2, Dungeness, Hunterston Hinkley Point B and Sizewell B -n will in future be covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) guaranteeing the workers’ pay and conditions.

All the workers will also see their bonus payment increase to 80 pence an hour backdated to January 2023 worth an extra £500 to everyone.

Following the agreement, the strike action at Hartlepool and Torness due to begin today will not go ahead.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a significant agreement which delivers a decent increase to our members and shows what can be achieved by workers standing together in unity.

“This deal is further evidence that Unite’s complete focus on jobs, pay and conditions is paying dividends for its members regardless of the sector they operate in.”

As part of the deal there will be a pilot agreement introduced from September at Hartlepool, Torness and Heysham, that will see the bonus payment increase to £1.50 an hour provided key performance indicators (KPIs) are met. This scheme will be rolled out to all seven sites in January 2024.

Workers covered by the NAECI agreement have taken extensive industrial action since the end of last year over bonus payments.

Unite said it will now be looking to agree similar arrangements with other employers in the construction engineering sector. Pay talks for the NAECI agreement are due this autumn, with a pay increase due in January 2024.

Unite national officer Jason Poulter said: “This deal will serve as an important building block as unions increase their organisation to ensure that workers covered by the agreement are paid fairly.”