By Oyintari Ben
Unite the union forecasted on Friday, April 7, 2023, that the major oil and gas operators BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour Energy, Ithaca, Shell, and TotalEnergies will experience a complete shutdown of their platforms and offshore installations from April 24 to April 26, 2023.
“Oil and gas companies in the offshore sector are enjoying record windfall profits,” said Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite. There is no doubt that contractors and operators could easily afford to increase the salary of Unite members. It is necessary to confront the extent of corporate greed in the offshore industry.
“An unprecedented wave of industrial action involving 1,350 offshore workers will now last 48 hours, and hundreds more are expected to join them. Unite will stand by every one of its members throughout this battle for better working conditions, salaries, and jobs.
According to the trade union, the five businesses the strike will touch are Worley Services UK Limited, Petrofac Facilities Management, Stork Technical Services, and Bilfinger UK Limited. Along with the deck crew, scaffolders, crane operators, pipefitters, platers, and riggers, the workforce comprises mechanical, production, and electrical technicians.
Approximately 700 offshore employees of Bilfinger UK Limited will stop working as a result of a pay dispute, according to Unite. These employees want a raise beyond the base salary specified in the Energy Services Agreement (ESA) for 2022. The 48-hour strike action will run from 00:01 on April 24 until 23:59 on April 25.
Around 360 Stork construction employees will also walk off the job in a 48-hour protest over working schedules and pay rates. The walkout is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. on April 24 and end at 6:29 a.m. on April 26.
In the meantime, about 50 Unite employees at Worley Services UK will go on strike, protesting a base rate rise of £7 per hour and the requirement that standby payments be made for 12 hours at full pay. The 48-hour strike action will begin at 6 a.m. on April 24 and last until 5:59 a.m. on April 26. The Harbour Energy platforms Britannia, Jade, Judy, and Jasmine are where these employees are based.
This announcement comes after a 48-hour strike by over 150 Sparrows Offshore Services employees on over 20 oil and gas sites over a salary issue. Instead of the stated 19 to April 21, it will begin at 6:30 a.m. on April 24 and end at 6:29 a.m. on April 25. The strike action impacts several significant operators, including Shell, Apache, and Harbour Energy.
