In October 2023, the government announced a 6.5% salary increase for offshore wind turbine blade repair technicians. Industry leaders noted this was designed to mitigate extreme fatigue in current staff and prevent them from migrating to traditional offshore oil and gas extraction, which offers higher historical wage rates.
However, industry unions argued that the pay increase did not offset the hazards and extreme lifestyle demands of the job. Technicians are required to work on platforms up to 120 metres above sea level in severe North Sea weather conditions. Fig. B.1 shows the salary index for blade repair technicians against the overall Offshore Services Index (OSI) since 2015.
Fig. B.1 – Average Technician Salary & Offshore Services Index (OSI) 2015–2023
| Year | Average Annual Technician Salary | Offshore Services Index (2015 = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | £38,000 | 100.0 |
| 2017 | £39,200 | 103.5 |
| 2019 | £40,500 | 105.8 |
| 2021 | £41,800 | 111.2 |
| 2023 | £44,500 | 122.4 |
Recruiting and expanding the labour force for this sector has proven slow and highly restricted. First, technicians must complete a rigorous two-year advanced apprenticeship in composite materials, followed by specialised global wind organisation (GWO) safety certifications, including sea survival and advanced high-altitude rescue. Secondly, a significant psychological barrier exists: over 80% of the active engineering workforce report a fear of extreme heights or severe motion sickness, disqualifying them from offshore field service. Furthermore, many current blade technicians possess a deep personal commitment to environmental conservation—the job is seen as a 'green crusade' to combat climate change, meaning their career choices are highly driven by purpose rather than marginal shifts in monetary compensation.
Explain, using information in Extract B, two reasons why the wage elasticity of supply of labour for offshore wind blade technicians is likely to be inelastic.
