More than 300 offshore drillers and contractors set to strike
They'll hold fortnightly, 48-hour stoppages until December
Last updated 5th Oct 2022
Offshore drillers and contractors are the latest workers to announce that they'll be striking over pay.
The mandate for industrial action follows Unite members rejecting a 5% pay increase, with workers employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell all backing the action.
The 48-hour stoppages will take place every two weeks until mid-December, with the first action taking place on 20-21 October.
A further series of stoppages will take place on 3-4 and 17-18 November, 1-2 and 15-16 December.
Unite has further warned that the action could thereafter escalate to all-out strike action.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Unite’s offshore drillers and contractors are ready to take their employers head on.
"The offer on the table is a substantial real terms pay cut, it comes from the very same companies who are driving the cost of living crisis.
"The oil and gas industry is swimming in record operator profits which is being fuelled by the consistently high price of oil and gas.
"Our offshore members have their union’s full support in fighting for better jobs, pay and conditions."
95% of members backed taking industrial action, in a turnout of 86%.
Vic Fraser, Unite industrial officer, added: "Unite has an emphatic mandate for industrial action from our members covered by the UK Drilling Contractors Association.
"The level of participation from our drilling members is totally unprecedented with Unite’s membership growing on a daily basis."
"For years drilling companies have treated our members with contempt and in the process paid them a pittance.
"We will no longer tolerate this from an industry overflowing with record profits."