Hundreds of Norwegian oil workers have gone on strike, after wage talks broke down.
Trade union Industri Energi confirmed 335 workers at Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Oceaneering and Oceaneering Asset Integrity decided to strike after negotiations failed to produce any sort of resolution.
Strike participants include engineers, operators of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and handlers of the drilling waste, according to the union.
State-appointed mediator Mats Wilhelm Ruland said the union and companies were nowhere near a solution despite negotiations rumbling on fours hours past the proposed deadline.
“They were too far apart,” Ruland said.
Industri Energi was negotiating on behalf of 6,500 members at 30 companies. It warned strike action could be ramped-up if a resolution wasn’t it found.
Both parties said the strike action would hamper the drilling of some wells, resulting in a reduced output.
The Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, which negotiated on behalf of the companies, called the union’s demands unreasonable, stating it was too difficult to increase wages during this current climate.
“A conflict won’t immediately affect the output of oil and gas from Norway’s continental shelf, but may do so if the conflict escalates,” the association said in a statement.
Industri Energi has set up an official strike office in Stavanger.
Elsewhere in the UK, workers are voting a new package proposal after weeks of strike action and negotiations. Read more here.
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