Unite the Union has announced that it will be balloting 140 Kaefer contractors at Shell’s Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids plant for strike action.
The dispute centres around pay with Unite stepping in following Kaefer making no formal cost of living offer for 2023.
Unite says it has been left with ‘no option’ but to launch the ballot in response to Kaefer’s failure to make a cost of living payment, and it is blaming the operator Shell for the stand-off.
Balloting will kick off on Monday 16 October and close on 13 November.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Kaefer has left our members at the Mossmorran plant with no option but to vote for strikes.
Ms Graham added: “These workers help make Shell’s bonanza profits – they need and deserve a cost of living payment, yet they are being offered nothing.
“Unite will back our Kaefer members all the way in the fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”
To this a Shell (LON:SHEL) spokesperson said: “We support constructive dialogue between the unions and contracting companies to reach a mutually agreed resolution”
In its half-year results, the London-listed supermajor posted profits of $19.7 billion before tax, this was a significant downgrade from the first six months of 2022 when it reported $36.9bn.
The 140 Kaefer contractors include scaffold inspectors and supervisors, riggers and rigging supervisors, forklift drivers, general assistants and mechanical supervisors.
Without these workers, operations at the Mossmorran plant will severely impacted and could not be operated safely, says Unite.
To this, Shell said: “Safety is always our priority and we would not run any plant if it was not safe to do so.”
Bob MacGregor, industrial officer for Unite, commented: “Unite’s members are rightly angry that they work in a plant owned by Shell who are raking in billions while Kaefer makes no offer at all to address the cost of living pressures our members face.
“Our members are fully prepared to take Kaefer and Shell head-on to get the cost of living payment that they deserve and which reflects their hard work.”
Kaefer said in a comment: “We confirm that KAEFER employees currently contracted to work at our Shell plants at St Fergus and Mossmorran, and who are members of the union Unite, have advised us that they intend to commence a ballot for industrial action.
“We support constructive dialogue between Unite and KAEFER to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.
“The safety of our teams and community is always the highest priority and will not be affected by this industrial action. “
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