Unite is seeking to re-establish negotiations with a “breakaway” group of drilling firms after workers last month rejected a “derisory” pay offer.
Noble, Diamond Offshore and EnscoRowan diverged from the UK Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA), offering “inferior” terms to their workers compared to other members.
The trio offered a 2% one year pay increase, compared to other UKDCA members – Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell – who offered 500 employees a 5% pay rise over two years.
A total of 95% of workers rejected the breakaway group’s offer and the offshore union said it is now seeking to re-establish negotiations with them in the coming weeks.
Last month the union said the split leaves hundreds of members without a pay increase for 2018-19 and that is would consider strike action if the offer wasn’t revised.
Regional officer John Clark said: “Unite is in the process of seeking meetings with each of the three breakaway contractors in the UKDCA to get them back around the negotiating table with their majority colleagues in the association.
“It is vital that we establish collective bargaining as soon as possible with the UKDCA as one voice and one offer for offshore workers.”