No acceptable offer put to offshore workforce

Strike action has resumed on BP Petrofac installations the UK’s largest offshore trade union, Unite, confirmed today (18 January).

The 48-hour strike action which started today at 6 a.m. involving around 80 workers will conclude at 5:59 a.m. on 20 January. It follows no breakthrough in negotiations with Petrofac and the failure by the contractor to present an acceptable offer to the workers which could have averted industrial action.

The BP Petrofac installations hit by the strike action include: Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and the Glen Lyon floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility.

The BP Petrofac dispute centres on the working rotation, which is currently a work 3 on/3 off rotation. An industrial action ballot previously returned a result of 98.3 per cent in favour of industrial action.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite fully supports our members at BP Petrofac installations taking 48-hour strike action. Only last week in a separate dispute workers at Petrofac Repsol secured a deal which could be worth up to 20.2 per cent and other improvements to working conditions. This is a benchmark our BP Petrofac workers are rightly looking at, and we will continue to support them in the fight for good jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector.”

Last week Unite confirmed over 200 members accepted an improved wage offer at Petrofac Repsol worth up to 20.2 per cent, which is the cash equivalent of up to £18,000, and also enhancements to allowances.

Unite industrial officer John Boland, on behalf of the Petrofac workforce across the various BP installations added: “The 48-hour strike action could have been averted if the company made a reasonable and acceptable offer to our members. This didn’t happen, and the strike action taking place is a failure by BP Petrofac management who seem relaxed about dragging this dispute on rather than fixing it. Unite stands ready to negotiate with Petrofac but only if they work to resolve the outstanding issues over working rotas and pay, which is at the heart of this dispute.”

ENDS