Strike Averted as About 8,000 Workers offshore Norway Win Pay Raise

Unions representing around 8,000 Norwegian continental shelf employees across the ranks secured new terms with about a dozen companies including majority state-owned Equinor ASA on Thursday, after government mediation.

That averted a strike that had threatened to cut national oil and gas production by over 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, according to an association representing the companies.

"A general annual pay increase of NOK 42,000 [$4,509] has been agreed, including offshore compensation and holiday allowance", Offshore Norge, an association of companies in the Norwegian continental shelf, said in a news release. "In addition, shift and night supplements will increase by NOK 5 and NOK 8 respectively.

"For employees in the operating companies, the wage settlement continues locally in the individual company", trade union Styrke said in a separate statement, as translated from Norwegian.

"Personnel who work on normally unmanned facilities are compensated with NOK 250 per day", Styrke said. "And employees who are registered at the heliport on holidays and public holidays will receive a public holiday allowance.

"The parties have also improved the arrangements for pregnant employees and in connection with confirmation, as well as several other points in the agreements".

The daily rate for temporary positions has been raised NOK 22 to NOK 600, the Norwegian Union of Energy Workers (Safe) said separately.

The amendments to the collective agreements take effect June 1, 2026, Safe said.

The new agreements cover exploration and production companies, drillers and service providers: Equinor, ConocoPhillips Norge, Aker BP ASA, OKEA ASA, Vår Energi ASA, Repsol Norge AS, KCA Deutag Drilling Norge AS, Sodexo Remote Sites Norway AS, ESS Support Services AS, Coor Service Management AS and 4Service Offshore Hotels AS.

"Based on the notified walkouts, approximately 45,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day could be impacted", said an earlier statement by Offshore Norge.

The Nordic country, which the European Union has recognized as its biggest gas supplier since the Ukraine war upended flows from Russia, has already seen gas production decline compared to last year. Latest data from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate shows that April marked four consecutive months of sequential decline. Year-on-year, April gas production represented a third consecutive month of decrease.

Negotiations in April between the parties, which also included the Norwegian Organization of Managers and Executives (Lederne), had failed to reach agreements. Fresh talks that spanned 2 days ended successfully late Thursday night after intervention by the National Mediator.

"By standing together, we have achieved a better result than we would have managed individually", said a joint statement by Safe leader Raymond Midtgård, Styrke deputy leader Lill-Heidi Bakkerud and Lederne leader Audun Ingvartsen.

Elisabeth Brattebø Fenne, director of industrial relations and chief negotiator at Offshore Norge, said, "We have stretched far in these negotiations, while at the same time having to keep to the framework established by the lead sector model earlier this spring. This has made the negotiations demanding. However, I am pleased that we have reached an agreement and avoided a strike".

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