Unite Joins GMB in Calling for North Sea Strike Action
UK trade union Unite has joined the GMB union in a fight to defend offshore workers' terms and conditions, threatening strike action by its members. Unite announced Friday that it will issue a legal notice warning of industrial action to the Offshore Contractors’ Association, following a breakdown in negotiations to resolve a dispute over conditions for offshore workers in UK waters.
In a statement to Rigzone, a Unite representative commented:
"Talks with the OCA ended on Wednesday without a satisfactory way forward. We will now proceed to ballot for industrial action and we will provide the employer with the required legal notice in due course."
Thursday saw the GMB announce a strike ballot would go ahead, with GMB National Officer David Hulse conceding in a statement that the unions did make some progress in its negotiations with the OCA on Wednesday but that this was "sadly not enough to enable us to go back to members with proposals to resolve this dispute".
UK offshore contractors are looking to implement a change to shift rotations worked by offshore workers in order to reduce handovers and logistic costs. "Any productivity changes required will be subject to change managment and risk assessment and the unions have been offered the opportunity to participate in this," OCA Chief Executive Bill Murray said Thursday.
Trade body Oil & Gas UK has issued a statement pointing out that "the door is still open" and that it hoped both sides could still reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the North Sea in Norway negotiations between Norwegian offshore oil workers and employers broke down Thursday, also raising the risk of strike action. Norwegian unions Safe, Industri Energi and DSO said that rig owners had not offered their members anything substantial during the negotiations, according to a Reuters report.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Exxon Posts Highest Profit in More Than 2 Years
- TC Energy Corp Targets Military Site for New Project
- USA Vehicle Miles Quietly Eclipse Pre-Pandemic Levels
- TotalEnergies and Apache Corp Make Oil Find
- Who Wins and Loses from Commodity Price Surge?
- KCA Deutag Creates New Business Unit
- U.S. Blames Iran for Ship Attack, Plans ‘Appropriate Response’
- USA Says Oil Tanker Was Targeted by Drones
- Norway Activity Level Remains High Despite Covid
- Shell and Chevron Sanction GOM Project and More
- USA Refiners Miss Out on American Fuel Boom
- Gas Byproduct Prices Surge 57 Percent
- Exxon Posts Highest Profit in More Than 2 Years
- TC Energy Corp Targets Military Site for New Project
- Brookfield Moves Closer to Pipeline Victory
- USA Vehicle Miles Quietly Eclipse Pre-Pandemic Levels
- Suncor Cuts Fort Hills Oil Output Guidance
- Proserv Bags Deal for 22 Wellhead Control Panels
- Total and Equinor Are Said to Exit Venezuela Oil JV
- Reliance Vaccinates 98 Percent of Staff
- Shell to Trim Refinery Portfolio
- Qatar Petroleum Raises $12B+ in Bond Offering
- Oil Prices Loom Over Biden Drilling Rights Blueprint
- Shell Proposes Large Scale Canada CCS Project
- ADNOC Dishes Out $760MM+ in Awards
- Chevron Awards Deal Worth Around $1B
- Petrofac Nets New Deal
- Pemex Will Operate Mexico's Biggest Private Oil Find
- New Petrobras Boss Surprises Naysayers
- Oil and Gas Reform Bill Clears Nigeria Parliament