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    1. Production

    1,350 offshore workers predicted to bring dozens of platforms to a standstill

    April 7, 2023
    Unite the Union has announced a major 48-hour stoppage as tsunami of industrial action is set to hit oil and gas operators, including bp, Shell and Total, in massive pay dispute.
    Photo 155055203 © David Tadevosian | Dreamstime.com
    Workers Strike 64302ed617e6f

    Offshore staff

    LONDON — On April 7, Unite the Union announced an unprecedented 48-hour major stoppage as part of a "tsunami" of industrial unrest in the offshore sector.

    The union reported that 1,350 offshore workers across five companies will take strike action to demand a better deal on jobs, pay and conditions.  

    The trade union predicts the strike action from April 24- 26 will bring platforms and the offshore installations of major oil and gas operators to a "standstill." The corporations to be hit by the action include bp, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour Energy, Ithaca, Shell and Total.

    Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said, “Oil and gas companies in the offshore sector are enjoying record windfall profits. There’s no question that contractors and operators can easily afford to give Unite members a decent pay rise. The scale of corporate greed in the offshore sector has to be challenged. 1350 offshore workers will now take part in an unprecedented tsunami of industrial action over 48 hours with hundreds more set to join them. Unite will support all our members every step of the way in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions."

    The five companies to be impacted by the strike action are as follows: Bilfinger UK Ltd., Petrofac Facilities Management, Stork Technical Services, Sparrows Offshore Services, and Worley Services UK Ltd. The workforce includes electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders crane operators, pipefitters, platers and riggers. 

    John Boland, Unite industrial officer, added: “Unite has received an emphatic mandate in support of strike action. It is historic and it will be the biggest offshore stoppage in a generation. Unite’s members are determined to get their fair share and to establish a better working environment. This is not exclusively about pay but also working rotas, holidays and offshore safety. The workforce has been taken for granted for years, but now their value will be acutely felt when strike action will bring dozens of platforms to a standstill.”

    Unite recently blasted the UK government's inaction on taxing oil firms, as bp posted the biggest profits in its history as it doubled to £23 billion ($28.5 billion) in 2022. bp's profits come after Shell reports earnings of £32 billion ($39.7 billion), bringing the combined total profits of the top two energy companies in Britain to a record £55 billion ($68.3 billion).

    Details of the disputes

    About 700 offshore workers at Bilfinger UK Ltd. will down tools as part of a pay dispute. Bilfinger workers are demanding an increase above the base rate of pay set in the Energy Services Agreement for 2022. The 48-hour strike action will take place April 24 to 25

    More than 360 Stork construction workers will take strike action in a dispute over working rotas and rates of pay. The 48-hour strike action will take place April 24 to 26.

    About 50 Unite members employed by Petrofac Facilities Management Limited on the FPF1 platform will take strike action in a dispute over imposed clawback days. Offshore workers can be asked to work at any time for no additional payment. The operator, Ithaca Energy, has a ‘clawback’ policy of 14 days, double the industry norm of seven days. The 48-hour strike action will take place April 24 to 26.

    In addition, about 50 Unite members employed Worley Services UK will strike in a dispute about a base rate increase of £7 per hour, and standby payments to be 12-hours full pay. The workers are based on Harbour Energy platforms Britannia, Jade, Judy and Jasmine. The 48-hour strike action will take place April 24 to 26.

    The announcement follows the 48-hour strike action taken this week by about 150 Sparrows Offshore Services workers across more than 20 oil and gas platforms in a dispute over pay. The action impacts on a number of major operators including Shell, Apache and Harbour Energy. Strike action will take place April 24-25 instead of April 19-21 as previously announced.

    Unite also has strike mandates at Petrofac BP covering about 100 members and more than 80 members employed by the Wood Group on TAQA assets, but no strike dates have been announced in relation to these disputes.

    04.07.2023

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