Construction workers building the new £19.6 billion Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset have voted in favour of a new pay deal.

Members of unions Unite and GMB had been preparing to take strike action after rejecting a previous offer last month from client EDF and the main contractor BYLOR (the principal contractor Laing O’Rourke and Bouygues TP).

However, the new deal will see workers receive pay levels up to 36% above the minimum pay rates agreed by the Construction Industry Joint Council. By incorporating a large amount of the previous bonus payments into the basic rate, workers will see holiday pay, overtime rates and pension contributions increase.

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In addition, employees will receive back pay from the period between 1 January 2017 and 31 May 2017, when the interim bonus scheme was introduced.

Unite regional secretary, Peter Hughes said: "This is a landmark agreement which will now set the benchmark for pay rates on flagship construction projects throughout the UK.

"The pay rates agreed at Hinkley Point will provide a significant boost to the local economy and together with the ambitious apprenticeship programme on the project, will generate much needed skills boost and investment in the south west region.

"The determination of EDF to broker a deal was critical in ensuring the pay negotiations were satisfactorily resolved."

GMB national officer Phil Whitehurst said: "This could have resulted in a trade dispute which would have had devastating consequences to this prestigious project. Let's now hope that an open and transparent relationship will precipitate from this on the civil construction phase of HPC."

(LM/MH)