North Sea to See Record Strike Action in June

The Unite union has confirmed that around 1,650 contractors will begin two new rounds of 48-hour strike action in June.

Across five companies, the contractors will participate in strike action from June 1, at 6.30am local time, to June 3, at 6.29am, and from June 8 to June 10 at the same times, Unite revealed in a statement posted on its website.

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, Unite noted.

The union said in the statement that the latest 48-hour strike action will hit multibillion oil and gas operators including Apache, BP, Harbour Energy, Enquest, Ithaca, Repsol, Shell, and TAQA.

“With the support of their union Unite, an army of 1,650 offshore workers are taking the fight to multibillion oil and gas corporations,” Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said in a union statement.

“The latest rounds of strike action in June will see the biggest group of offshore workers to date taking strike action,” Graham added.

“Unite is determined to deliver better jobs, pay, and conditions in the offshore sector, and deliver we will,” Graham continued.

Unite Industrial Officer John Boland said, “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,” he added.

“Unite has one simple message for the contractors and operators - we will stand up for our members, we hold you to account, and in the end we will win,” Boland added.

Rigzone has contacted industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) for comment on Unite’s latest strike statement. At the time of writing, OEUK has not yet sent Rigzone a statement commenting on the upcoming strikes.

In a separate statement posted on its site last week, Unite announced that around 600 Bilfinger contractors on Ithaca, CNRI, and TAQA assets rejected new pay offers. In that statement, Unite revealed that the workers would participate in the 48-hour June stoppages, along with 200 Bilfinger contractors working on BP and Repsol assets.

This statement included a list of offshore installations potentially impacted by any strike action. The following installations were mentioned in the list:

• Alba North
• Andrew
• Arbroath
• AUK
• Bleoholm
• Brae Alpha
• Captain FPSO
• Captain WPP,
• Clair,
• Clair Ridge,
• Claymore,
• Clyde,
• Cormorant
• Alpha,
• East Brae,
• Eider,
• Etap,
• FPF1,
• Fulmar,
• Glen Lyon,
• Harding,
• Leman Alpha,
• Montrose,
• Ninian Central,
• Ninian South,
• North Cormorant,
• Piper Bravo,
• Seafox 4,
• Sean Papa,
• Sole Pit Clipper,
• Tartan Alpha,
• Tern Alpha,

Back in April, Unite revealed that 1,300 offshore workers would begin a 48-hour stoppage from April 24. In a union statement at the time, Unite noted that the 48-hour strike action would hit multibillion oil and gas operators including BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour, Ithaca, Shell, TAQA, and Total.

In May, Unite announced that around 1,200 contractors would resume 48-hour strike action from May 10 to May 12.

Commenting on strike action earlier this month, Irene Bruce, OEUK’s Energy Services Agreement Manager, told Rigzone, “we … would encourage all parties to work together to find constructive ways to address workforce concerns”.

“Workers in all sectors across the UK are feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, however industrial action does not offer a solution, nor is it helpful for our sector, which is doing all it can to attract the investment essential to protect jobs and meet the UK’s energy needs,” Bruce added.

“While some offshore staffing levels will be reduced, companies are focused on maintaining safe operations for our people and on ensuring continuity of production to maintain energy security for the UK,” the OEUK representative continued.

Headquartered in London, the Unite union is active in all sectors of the economy, according to its website. Earlier this week, the union announced fresh National Health Service strikes in London and Yorkshire.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com