Unite has welcomed a new agreement with Equinor that sees recognition for dozens of its members working at the Mariner field.
The voluntary agreement negotiated with the company covers around 70 workers on Equinor’s (OSE:EQNR) Mariner A and B platforms in the UK North Sea, the union announced on Wednesday.
The deal covers various roles on the platforms including controllers along with electrical, mechanical, instrument and production technicians.
One of only two UK fields operated by the Norwegian state-backed group, Mariner lies around 93 miles east of the Shetland Islands in the Northern North Sea.
With wells spread across two reservoirs – Heimdal and Maureen – the field came on stream in 2019 and is expected to produce more than 300 million barrels of oil over the next 30 years.
Equinor operates the field with 65.11% equity alongside partners JX Nippon (20%), Siccar Point (8.89%) and ONE-Dyas (6%).
Welcoming Unite recognition, the union’s general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Offshore workers are increasingly turning to Unite for representation because they know we deliver the goods. The deal with Equinor is the latest example that demonstrates why Unite is the UK’s leading offshore union because we are winning the fight to improve jobs, pay and conditions.”
“The latest recognition agreement with Equinor follows Unite’s previous announcement in December 2023 that it had signed a similar agreement with Repsol Resources covering around 350 offshore workers.”
She noted that Unite now has recognition with several North Sea operators including Equinor, Repsol Resources, TotalEnergies, and CNOOC.
John Boland, Unite industrial officer, said: “The recognition agreement signed with Equinor covering workers on its Mariner platforms is another major step forward for Unite in the oil and gas industry. Over the last few months, we have negotiated agreements which will improve the working conditions for thousands of offshore workers.”
“We believe this deal is another positive signal to the industry that Unite wants to work constructively with operators where we can, while always standing up for the jobs, pay and conditions of our members.”
A spokesperson for Equinor told Energy Voice: “Equinor can confirm that a voluntary Recognition and Procedural Agreement has been reached with Unite the Union in relation to one bargaining unit at the Mariner platform.
“Equinor has a clear global policy on the right to unionise, and we respect our employees’ freedom of association and their right to collective bargaining and cooperation through representative bodies.”
Meanwhile, industrial action by a separate cohort of Odfjell Technology drilling workers at Mariner – also represented by Unite – was called off last month after the group secured changes to pay, conditions and working rotas.
Around 100 union members employed had backed a decision to launch three months of industrial action in December, but later “overwhelmingly” voted in favour of an improved offer from Odfjell which sees them move to a two weeks on/three weeks off rota system.
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