Offshore Workers Back Strikes

Offshore oil and gas workers are "overwhelmingly" in support of strike action over pay and conditions.

Members of the GMB and Unite unions are in support of the move, following a month-long consultation.

Unions say North Sea firms have used the recent oil price crash as an opportunity to impose what they consider unfair changes to workers' contracts, as well as thousands of redundancies

This vote follows a "lack of progress" in talks between GMB and Unite and the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) in February and March on rota changes, rates of pay, sick pay, and holiday patterns that the employers are seeking as a consequence to the decline in oil prices.

An estimated 10,000 offshore jobs have already been lost since the oil price slump alongside the industry's changes on pay and shift patterns from two weeks on, two weeks off to three weeks on, three weeks off. 

Unite Scottish Secretary Pat Rafferty said, “This massive support for industrial action should come as no surprise to offshore employers. 

“Since the turn of the year workers covered by the OCA have been at the coal face of the opportunistic cuts agenda, which has continued unabated across the industry despite the Chancellor’s £1.3 billion tax break. 

“The industry agenda is clear in that it wants to impose a reduced number of employees to work longer and for much less - it’s a ‘race to the bottom’ disease that is unsustainable and unacceptable.  

“Unite’s message to OCA employers is simple: Our members are not prepared to accept these impositions and they want proper participation over their livelihoods and the future of the offshore industry.

“It’s not too late to talk but the ball is in the employers’ court.” 

The Offshore Contractors Association is the body for offshore contractors based in Scotland. 

The agreement covers members working in mechanical, electrical and allied services, construction, modifications and maintenance work, design and project engineering, fabrication and decommissioning.

Dave Hulse, GMB National Officer, said &quotMembers have voted overwhelming for GMB Scotland Committee to give the go ahead for an official ballot over the proposals from clients and contractors to change terms and conditions of employment.

"The vote quite clearly demonstrates the anger and frustration of our members employed in the offshore industry. Members are prepared to strongly oppose the changes from clients and contractors

GMB does not believe proper risk assessments and consultation have taken place before unilateral action on this. We are concerned that moving to new rotas will have an adverse impact on member’s safety health and quality time.

We will now move to the next step to ballot our members for industrial action. On the deadlocked talks we urge the contractors and clients to reconsider their proposals and get back round the table to arrive at mutually agreed arrangements."