Norwegian Shipowner's Association: Norwegian Offshore Rig Strike Escalates

A strike on Norwegian offshore oil and gas rigs has escalated, the Norwegian Shipowner’s Association (NSA) revealed Monday.

Twenty-eight installations have now been affected by the action, which escalated on Sunday, the NSA revealed in a translated statement on its website. Prior to the escalation, the number of affected installations stood at nine, according to the NSA.

"With the current escalation of the strike on the Norwegian continental shelf, the SAFE employee organization shows no understanding of the economic realities on the Norwegian continental shelf," Jakob Korsgaard, managing director of Maersk Drilling Norway, was quoted as saying on the NSA’s website.

Last week, Hilde-Marit Rysst, a union leader at SAFE, told Rigzone that the number of members on strike would increase from 669 to 1,570 on Sunday July 15.

“It will be almost a total shut-down of the drilling rigs in a week or so on the Norwegian shelf,” Rysst told Rigzone on July 11.

Workers from Norwegian offshore oil and gas rigs went on strike on July 10 in a dispute over wages.