Hinkley Point C: 2,000 Workers Locked Out After Sit-In Protest

EDF has barred around 2,000 mechanical and electrical (M&E) workers from the Hinkley Point C construction site until Monday 8 June 2026, following a sit-down protest on 2 June. The £46 billion Somerset nuclear project is being delivered through the MEH Alliance, whose worker passes have been suspended. EDF describes the action as unofficial industrial action; workers cite a proposed shift pattern change and safety concerns.

What happened

On Tuesday 2 June 2026, M&E workers from the MEH Alliance staged a sit-down protest at Hinkley Point C, occupying canteen and changing room areas rather than carrying out scheduled tasks. EDF responded by suspending the workers’ site passes and instructing them not to return until Monday 8 June. A heavy police presence was reported at site the day after the protest.

The two sides of the dispute

EDF’s position is that members of the MEH workforce took unofficial industrial action and that there are established trade union processes through which workplace concerns can be raised. EDF denies the safety claims made about the clock-on area.

Workers and union representatives describe a dispute over two issues. First, a proposed shift pattern to be introduced in July would require operatives to work 10 days in a row every fortnight. Second, workers describe being required to clock out in a crane-lift zone they consider unsafe. GMB national secretary Charlotte Brumpton-Childs has confirmed regular dialogue with both members and management.

What it means for the project

Hinkley Point C is the UK’s largest active construction project and the first new nuclear power station built in the UK in decades. The completion programme has already been pushed back several times, with EDF’s most recent budget range £22 billion to £23 billion at original guidance and the project value now widely reported at £46 billion. Any sustained industrial action carries cost and schedule implications.

For the UK energy mix, Hinkley Point C is expected to generate around 7 per cent of UK electricity demand once both reactors are operational. Sustained workforce disruption is therefore relevant well beyond the immediate site dispute.

What happens next

EDF has set Monday 8 June as the return date for the suspended workers. GMB has not announced an official ballot. The proposed July shift pattern remains the focal issue. A resolution would normally come through MEH Alliance management, EDF and the union working through established procedures.

Frequently asked questions

How many workers have been told to stay away?

Around 2,000 MEH Alliance mechanical and electrical workers have been told not to return to the Hinkley Point C site until Monday 8 June 2026.

What is the dispute about?

The dispute centres on a proposed shift pattern that would require workers to be on duty for 10 days in a row every fortnight from July, and on safety concerns about a clock-on area that workers describe as being in a crane-lift zone. EDF denies the safety claim.

Is this an official strike?

No. EDF describes the sit-in as unofficial industrial action. GMB has not announced an official strike ballot.

Could this delay Hinkley Point C?

Any sustained disruption to a 2,000-strong M&E workforce on a project of this scale carries cost and schedule risk. EDF has stated its expectation that workers return on 8 June. The longer-term programme position depends on whether the underlying shift pattern dispute is resolved.