Workers at Britain’s largest power station – Drax in North Yorkshire – are conducting the first of a series of nine strikes over pay.
The Unite union said about 180 workers turned down an 8% pay offer, which they say represented a real pay cut, but the company said the deal was worth 10%.
The company also dismissed the union’s claim that the strike would “close Drax”.
A spokesman for the site near Selby said it was functioning normally.
The strike is the first of nine strikes planned over the next three months as workers hope to persuade management to improve their wage offer.
Further strikes are scheduled to take place on February 27th, then on March 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th and on April 4th, 10th and 17th.
Unite has accused Drax of “classic corporate greed” after it said its half-year profits of $52m
Unite Regional Officer Shane Sweeting said: “The strike action at Drax will inevitably place significant strain on the national power grid, but this dispute is entirely of company origin.
“Drax has had every opportunity to make our members a fair offer, but has failed time and time again.”
A Drax spokesman said: “The Drax power plant continues to generate renewable electricity for millions of homes and businesses as usual.
“We have proposed a generous, full and final payroll, rewarding our valued colleagues with a significant pay rise worth 10% and a lump sum of £2,000.
“We are deeply disappointed that Unite has taken this unnecessary action, meaning colleagues are losing money rather than securing a significant pay rise.”
The company said it was open to dialogue with Unite to end the industrial action.
“There are three unions representing colleagues at Drax Power Station and this offer was accepted by Prospect, while GMB has said it will not take industrial action,” it added.
The spokesman said the power plant employed 471 production workers, 185 of whom took part in the voting.
When fully operational, Drax can generate up to 7% of the UK’s electricity needs.
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