A trade union boss has suggested creating a “job share” scheme to help safeguard North Sea oil industry workers’ positions until offshore activity ramps up next year.
North Sea oil industry workers are anticipated to make up the lion’s share of those using the furlough scheme within the UK energy sector.
North-east energy sector chiefs largely welcomed an extension of the UK Government furlough scheme, but cautioned it may do little to roll back the tide of oil and gas redundancies.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a four month extension to the current UK Government Covid-19 furlough scheme.
Any moves to scale back the UK Government furlough scheme would be “absolutely disastrous” for the North Sea oil and gas sector, an Aberdeen union boss has warned.
The UK’s Job Retention Scheme has proved a lifeline for many employers and a way to ensure employment is protected while oil and gas firms deal with the double hit of Covid-19 and the drastic fall in oil price. The uptake figures demonstrate the need for the scheme, with over nine million people in the UK expected to be furloughed, yet the decisions to furlough staff have often been made quickly with little planning for the scheme ending.
An oilfield services firm has been heavily criticised for rejecting a coronavirus furlough scheme as it plans scores of North Sea redundancies.
Many North Sea oil and gas firms are currently “torn” between protecting the long-term sustainability of their business and supporting those staff whose jobs were connected to now delayed or cancelled projects, according to an Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) boss.
A trio of offshore unions are in disagreement with Petrofac after workers were left without answers on being granted the government’s coronavirus furlough scheme.
A number of workers for an Aberdeen-headquartered oilfield equipment firm have been terminated following the company’s decision to furlough hundreds of staff.
A deal has been reached which will protect the jobs of nearly 3,000 offshore caterers working in the UK North Sea.