Talks between unions and COTA (Caterers Offshore Trade Association) will be held today in a bid to reach an agreement over potential strike action.
Last month both Unite and RMT members were balloted on whether to take industrial action.
Offshore catering and auxiliary workers are in dispute with COTA after it said it would not be honouring the second year of a pay deal worth around 1.3%.
The discussions between the body and unions were announced on the same day RMT revealed overwhelming support in favour of action short of a strike.
A vote on full strike action was narrowly defeated by just a few points.
Unite members had previously voted by 54.2% in favour of strike action while 62.7% voted for action short of a strike.
COTA has previously said it was forced to retract the second-year of the pay deal due to the tough economic climate brought on by current decline in oil price.
It was previously revealed exclusively by Energy Voice that up to 500 jobs were at risk across the COTA member companies.
Peter Bruce, chair of COTA and chief executive of member company Entier, said the body would do “all we can” to avoid strike action.
He said: “We have made it clear to both Unite and RMT that we are willing to discuss our position, the economic challenges we are facing and what we are doing to prevent further job losses.
“In this climate, dialogue and cooperation are needed rather than industrial action.
“We believe that the majority of our workforce are acutely aware of the economic situation in which we now find ourselves and understand that a pay freeze is not only fair but is also vital in ensuring the stability of our industry.
“The statement by the unions that catering staff are less fairly rewarded than other offshore workers is simply untrue.
“All employees covered by our pay agreement are salaried and earn between £34,000 and £45,000 per annum.
“They have enjoyed year on year pay increases since 2000 with the exception of only one year when a pay freeze was implemented due to the economic climate.
“We will do all we can to avoid strike action and will continue to work closely with the unions to find a solution. There can be no winners from strike action – it means a loss of earnings, a threat to long term job security for employees and overall damage to investor confidence in the North Sea.”
The member companies of COTA are Entier, Sodexo, ESS, Aramark, FOSS & ESG and Trinity International Services.
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