A poll taken of Energy Voice readers has found three-quarters agree offshore workers should ballot to strike.
The findings come just a day after North Sea oil and gas workers agreed to press ahead with plans for a ballot on strike action after talks with employers in Aberdeen reached another stalemate.
Union leaders have insisted the door was “not closed” to employers despite no agreement being met.
Workers are in dispute over changes to staff rotas, sick pay and holiday pay.
When asked ‘should workers agree to strike in ballot action?’ , 75.51% supported strike again, while 24.49% were against.
GMB national officer David Hulse dismissed the proposals as only a “slight improvement” and vowed to carry on making arrangements for putting out a strike ballot to thousands of North Sea workers.
OCA chief executive Bill Murray said he was “extremely disappointed” with the trade union officials’ decision and warned that strike action would drive away much-needed investment in the North Sea.
When talks broke down earlier this year, offshore workers from both unions overwhelmingly backed plans for an industrial action ballot following a month-long consultation.
The unions, who fear that switching to “equal-time” rotas will lead to a slide in working standards, have been laying the foundations for a ballot since then, though hopes for a compromise have lingered.
Both sides returned to the negotiating table two weeks ago and swapped sets of proposals before agreeing to reconvene for another round of talks, which took place yesterday.
After batting suggestions back and forth all day, the unions said the proposals from the OCA, which represents UK oil and gas contractors, had fallen short of their expectations.
David Hulse, GMB national officer, said: : “Progress has not been made. There has been a slight improvement on the proposals from the OCA, but we do not believe as a negotiating team that it meets our aspirations for our membership.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve informed the OCA that we will carry on with our preparations to go to a lawful industrial action ballot.”
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