Some 170 members of UK's largest union Unite working for Petrofac on Repsol's UK North Sea offshore platforms, are taking 48-hour strike action from Thursday, December 22, the union has informed. Separately, 76 unite members who are Petrofac workers employed at BP's North Sea platforms will start strike action next week over 3:3 rotations.
"The action [by Petrofac workers on Repsol's plaforms] follows workers rejecting the latest pay offer from the company by 79 percent on an 89 percent turnout in an increasingly bitter dispute over pay and working terms, which has seen previous rounds of industrial action," Unite said .
The installations impacted include the Arbroath, Auk, Bleo Holm, Claymore, Clyde, Fulmar Alpha, Piper Bravo, Saltire, Tartan Alpha, and Flotta oil terminal.
Unite also confirmed that a further 48-hour strike will impact the Montrose platform starting on December 29-31.
"The dispute centers on the removal of a 10 per cent Equal Time payment, years of below inflationary pay increases as well as issues around payments for Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) medicals, mileage and stand in duties," Unite said.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Petrofac Repsol workers across the various installations are taking this latest action due to a series of unacceptable pay offers. Unite’s members are watching offshore oil and gas giants mount up eye-watering profits. Instead of paying the workforce what they deserve because they are the ones ultimately generating these profits Petrofac Repsol are revelling in playing Scrooge. Unite supports, and will continue to support our members at Petrofac for as long as it takes for them to achieve a successful resolution.”
In a separate dispute, Unite members at Petrofac’s BP installations: Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and Glen Lyon floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility will also begin 48-hour strike action on the same dates – 29th to 31st December.
The Petrofac BP dispute centres on the working rotation, which is currently a work 3 on/3 off rotation. This action involves 76 members.
Asked recently by Offshore Engineer on what the workers' demands were with regards to the rotations, Unite Industrial Office John Boland said:"3:3 rotation is working 3 weeks offshore (21 days x 12 hours) followed by 3 week rest. It is universally hated by offshore workers and has been proven in studies to increase fatigue and the risk of accidents. The Petrofac BP workers are demanding that they get 4 weeks paid holiday from offshore time, if they have to work this rotation."
Unite anticipates that the strike action at both Petrofac Repsol and Petrofac BP are likely to cause considerable disruption and has warned that further action is being actively considered which would extend the dispute into 2023.
Unite industrial officer John Boland, on behalf of the Petrofac workforce across the various installations added: “Unite’s members have been left with no choice but to take further strike action due to the indifference and intransigence shown by Petrofac management. Several rounds of 48-hour strike action will now take place following our members rejecting a latest pay offer which represents a real terms pay cut. The Petrofac workers are absolutely determined to continue with strike action because the company can easily afford to settle this dispute. We would encourage them once again to do so and allow these workers to get back on with the job.”