In a battle over jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector, some 1650 contractors will conduct a fresh round of strike action. Union representatives of the Unite the union confirmed on 23 May that around 1650 contractors will begin two new rounds of 48-hour strike action in an increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector.
The prospective action includes electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders, crane operators, pipefitters, platers, and riggers working for Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork Technical Services, and Sparrows Offshore Services, as the union says in a statement released yesterday.
Around 1650 contractors across five companies will participate in the strike action starting on 1 June and ending on 3 June, and the second on 8 June, ending 10 June.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “With the support of their union Unite, an army of 1650 offshore workers are taking the fight to multibillion oil and gas corporations. The latest rounds of strike action in June will see the biggest group of offshore workers to date taking strike action.”
As the union claims the purpose of the latest strike action is to hit oil and gas operators including Apache, BP, Harbour Energy, Enquest, Ithaca, Repsol, Shell and TAQA.
Last week, Unite announced that around 600 Bilfinger contractors on Ithaca, CNRI and TAQA assets rejected new pay offers.
John Boland, Unite industrial officer, added: “Unite’s members deserve a much bigger share of the bonanza profits being recorded by oil and gas operators than the real terms pay cuts currently being offered. Around 1650 members across the companies we are in dispute with remain determined, and fully focused on securing a better deal.”
