Staff from a billion pound US oil and gas giant have begun a 16-day strike after their employers hit them with a £10,500 pay cut. Unite the union claims that members have had thousands of pounds wiped off their salaries due to fire and rehire tactics by Baker Hughes.
Around 110 workers started strike action on Monday, August 29, with Unite accusing the oil and gas firm of "laying waste to Scottish jobs". Unite estimates that detrimental contractual changes could wipe-off up to 29 per cent from the annual wages of Baker Hughes workers - the equivalent to a £10,500 drop in annual income.
Unite members voted for strike action by 87.3 per cent, on an 87.5 per cent per cent turnout, to defend their jobs, terms and conditions. The all-out strike action will last until the morning of September 14, with a series of 48-hour stoppages taking place until November 16.
