Workers at hydro plants in Scotland have voted in favour of strike action in a move that union representatives said could threaten power cuts.
Drax has maintained there is "no risk to public electricity supplies" after approximately 50 employees at its power stations in Lanark, Loch Awe and Castle Douglas also voted in favour of indusgtrial action short of a strike. They have rejected an offer of an 8% pay rise over 15 months.
Union representatives at Unite confirmed the result of the vote as Drax posted an 84 per cent surge in profits for 2022.
"Drax Hydro is a profitable energy company and it can afford to pay its workforce significantly more than the current offer," Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.
READ MORE: Drax keeps the profits flowing as decision on Cruachan looms
"It is also part of a wider Drax Group with underlying earnings for last year projected to be around a staggering £680 million. This is a classic case of corporate greed and now the UK faces a threat of power cuts due to Drax’s greed."
Along with its hydro division in Scotland, the group has converted four coal-fired units at its Drax power station in North Yorkshire to biomass, which burn compressed wood pellets to generate electricity.
Its bioenergy operations make it eligible for government subsidies amounting to more than £800m annually, which has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners.
READ MORE: Drax to top profit predictions on strong demand for renewables
The company, which provides 7% of Britain's electricity, posted an annual adjusted core profit of £731m for 2022, up from £398m the previous year.
A Drax spokesperson said: “In the event of industrial action, there is no risk to public electricity supplies and Drax has robust plans in place to ensure our plants in Scotland remain safe. We have put forward a generous full and final pay settlement which rewards our valued colleagues with a significant pay rise worth 10%.
“We are deeply disappointed that Unite is planning to go forward with this unnecessary action which will see colleagues lose money instead of securing a significant pay rise. Drax remains open to dialogue with Unite to avoid industrial action.”
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