Around 35 scaffolders, insulators and painters, who all work at height at the chemical plant, will benefit from a pay deal worth at least 10% over two and a half years.
The workers will get a £250 one-off payment in their December pay on top of a rise of 2.5% from June 2021.
In January 2022, scaffolders will get a pay rise ranging from 6.5% to 7.5%, while other trades in the bargaining group will receive a 5% increase. Annual leave for all workers will also increase from 22 days to 25, plus bank holidays.
In January 2023 rates will increase by a further 2.5%.
The basic pay for a scaffolder at the plant is currently £12.36 an hour, when the rate for the job under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) is £17.45 an hour. With the support of their trade union, Unite, the workforce had voted to go on strike for 19 days during November and December.
Unite regional officer Neil Howells said: “All strikes have now been cancelled and Unite looks forward to working productively with Altrad and Mitsubishi in the future.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an excellent result for our members at Altrad in Billingham and shows what can be achieved when workers stand together in a union. Unite now does exactly what it says on the trade union tin: fight to defend our members’ jobs, pay and conditions. The inflation busting pay rise at Altrad, as well as similar victories at other workplaces across the country, shows this approach is paying dividends for Unite members.”
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