Around 900 workers at Total’s Shetland Gas Plant (SGP) have staged an unofficial walkout over pay on Wednesday.
The action follows a request for travel allowance submitted by the plant workers living in Shetland earlier this week, which was rejected by the site developer Petrofac.
Earlier this year, following the threat of a strike action, the construction firm agreed to pay workers £15 per day for having to travel by bus between accommodation barges in Lerwick and the site near Sella Ness.
On Wednesday, almost all workers present on the site have abandoned work and brought the construction site to a standstill, according to local reports.
A Petrofac spokesman said the company was disappointed with what appeared to be opportunistic, unauthorised action.
“We take the welfare of our staff very seriously and in previous disputes we have worked hard with staff and trades unions to resolve the situation,” they said.
“However, this is very different. The action doesn’t appear to be supported by the trades unions and has completely ignored the formal process for dispute resolution.”
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