Unions have expressed amazement at the Olympic Delivery Authority’s refusal to adopt the same pay deal offered to electricians at Heathrow Terminal 5.

The ODA said it would not use the Major Projects Agreement (MPA) because the employment conditions in its Memorandum of Agreement would suffice. This industrial relations document has been signed by itself, delivery partner CLM and the trade unions.

The MPA gave electricians pay of up to £55,000 in return for a productivity deal. An ODA spokesperson confirmed that it would not be implemented “in its current form”.

Tom Hardacre, head of construction at union Amicus, expressed amazement at this decision and said the union would welcome wage discussions with individual contractors.

Meanwhile, Olympic bodies have come under fire from the London assembly’s environment committee after it emerged that they have yet to decide whether sustainability policies will focus on carbon reduction or offsetting.

The organisers promised to deliver the first draft of their carbon management strategy “before the Beijing Olympics”, which begin in August.