Offshore wage status quo not an option, Unite says

Workers represented by Scotland’s biggest offshore trade union Unite have ‘overwhelmingly’ voted to reject a no-change pay and conditions offer from their employers, the union reported on Thursday. 

Unite, along with the GMB union, is seeking a wage increase for offshore members, along with improved sick pay and paid travel time.

Members of Unite were asked to vote on a proposal from the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA), the representative body for offshore contractor companies.

According to the union, the proposal would have seen no increase in pay and no change to the conditions of members.

Unite regional officer Tommy Campbell said: “Our members have made their views clear and we have informed the OCA of the result.

“We will now be looking to meet with the employers to get their reaction and to discuss how to take this matter forward. However, it is clear that the status quo is not an option.”

According to a news report by BBC, the OCA was “extremely disappointed” that members had rejected the deal.

The news agency quoted Paul Atkinson, chief executive of the OCA, as saying: “We will continue to maintain close contact with our partner unions Unite and GMB as we seek to find a way forward together in the best interests of both our member companies and those who work for them.”

Back in July, hundreds of oil workers employed by Wood Group on Shell’s platforms in the North Sea participated in a strike action in a dispute over proposed cuts of up to 30 per cent on pay and allowances. The action, the first of its kind in 28 years, was taken by members of RMT and Unite unions.

Offshore Energy Today Staff