Ithaca operated Alba FSU and FPF1 assets set for eight days disruption

Unite members employed by Bilfinger on North Sea assets operated by Ithaca Energy will strike in a dispute over pay in June.  

Around 20 workers are involved in a dispute over the refusal by Ithaca Energy to extend a retention bonus to Bilfinger workers on the Alba Floating Storage Unit (FSU) and its floating production facility (FPF)1.   

The workers will now take industrial action from 4 June until the end of 7 June on the Alba unit followed by four days of action on the FPF1 from 9 June to close of play on the 12 June.  

Previous industrial action was postponed to allow talks to take place with Bilfinger but despite this gesture of goodwill, there has been minimal progress from the company or Ithaca Energy who own the assets on a payment to the workers. 

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “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.” 

Ithaca Energy has 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. 

Ithaca Energy provided a trading update in February 2026 which highlighted $2 billion profit before tax up from $1.4 billion in 2024, while Bilfinger UK Limited further posted profits of £17.7m in 2024 up from £14m in 2023. 

Unite industrial officer Paula Buchan said: “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.” 

ENDS  

Notes to Editors  

For media enquiries contact: Andrew Brady on 07810 157922 or andrew.brady@unitetheunion.org   

Unite Scotland is the country’s biggest and most diverse trade union with around 150,000 members.