Union chief plays down idea North Sea strikes are winding down

A trade union officer has poured cold water on optimism that an end to industrial unrest in the North Sea could be in sight.

John Boland of Unite says there is “a lot of stuff still going in the background”, with numerous strike ballots covering scores of workers in the pipeline.

And while there is a degree of “fatigue” amongst the workforce, “members are still willing” to down tools in a bid to secure better pay, he added.

There had been cautious optimism that a line was beginning to be drawn under the “tsunami” of unrest that has gripped the North Sea for much of 2023.

Last week over 700 striking Bilfinger employees accepted an improved pay offer, drastically cutting the number of workers currently engaged in offshore disputes.

Not out of the woods yet

But while that was a big standalone figure, Mr Boland says there are hundreds more – split across separate disputes – still willing to take action.

“As it stands their (Bilfinger members) industrial action is completed, although I know there are some other disputes that may be coming up with them. Stork members have had an offer put to them, as have Petrofac (LON: PFC) workers on BP (LON: BP) assets – both of those have gone to a consultative ballot,” he said.

© Supplied by Unite the Union

“There are a number of other disputes that are ongoing – we’ve got one with Petrofac on Ithaca Energy’s (LON: ITH) FPF-1 asset, and strike dates have been put in there. On Ithaca’s other two assets – Captain and Alba – we’re preparing to go to industrial action ballot for them as well.

“Although these other clashes are smaller, they’ll have no less of an impact on operators. A consultative ballot is ongoing with Petrofac members on EnQuest (LON: ENQ), and there are strike dates for Wood (LON: WG) with TAQA, and there are other things coming up as well.

“We’ve still got a strike mandate for Worley workers on Harbour Energy (LON: HBR) platforms that we’ve not moved forward with yet because we’ve been waiting to see was happening there. There is also ongoing collective grievances going with Wood on Shell (LON: SHEL) assets, as well as Ponticelli and Semco Maritime on TotalEnergies (PARIS: TTE) assets – there’s a lot of stuff still going on in the background.”

Workers losing ‘a lot of money’

Fanning the flames of industrial discontent have been the bumper profits reported by a number of oil and gas majors in the last year.

Walkouts have been commonplace in the North Sea for months now as workers bid to secure better pay in order to offset the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

It is not without sacrifice though, with strikers having to give up their wage for time not worked, something Mr Boland says is taking its toll.

© Supplied by Unite Offshore

He added: “It’s having a big hit on them, there’s no doubt about that, and it’s hard because sometimes the motivation does go. The industrial action involving Petrofac workers on BP assets started in November and it is still going on, so there is fatigue.

“But members are still willing to do it, and the fact that workers are willing to lose a lot of money by doing this shows how strongly they feel.”