Petrofac Staff on Repsol, BP Platforms in North Sea Launch Strikes Over Pay, Working Rotations

The UK’s largest industrial union, Unite, stated Thursday that round 146 members will start strike motion on the Petrofac Repsol installations on December 8 and 9, “because of an ongoing, and more and more bitter dispute over pay and dealing phrases.”

“The dispute pertains to the removing of a ten p.c cent equal time fee, years of beneath inflationary pay will increase, in addition to points round funds for OEUK medicals, mileage, and stand in duties,” Unite stated.

Repsol amenities affected by the strike are Arbroath, Auk, Bleo Holm, Claymore, Clyde, Fulmar Alpha, Montrose, Piper Bravo, Saltire, Tartan Alpha, and Flotta Oil Terminal

Individually, Unite members at Petrofac’s BP installations: Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and Glen Lyon installations may also start strike motion on 8 and 9 December. 

The Petrofac BP dispute facilities on the working rotation, which is presently a 3 on/3 off rotation. An industrial motion poll returned a results of 98.3 p.c in favor of commercial motion. This motion includes 76 members.

Requested by Offshore Engineer on what the employees’ calls for have been close to the rotations, Unite Industrial Workplace John Boland stated:”3:3 rotation is working 3 weeks offshore (21 days x 12 hours) adopted by 3 week relaxation. It’s universally hated by offshore staff and has been confirmed in research to extend fatigue and the chance of accidents. The Petrofac BP staff are demanding that they get 4 weeks paid vacation from offshore time, in the event that they should work this rotation.”

Unite anticipates that the strike actions at each Petrofac Repsol and Petrofac BP are “more likely to trigger appreciable disruption.”

Unite basic secretary Sharon Graham stated: “Offshore oil and gasoline firms are making eye-watering earnings but are enjoying Scrooge in terms of the employees that create these earnings. As an alternative of working to resolve this dispute, administration is prolonging it. Their actions are these of a grasping and callous employer hell-bent on making their staff worse off whereas their shareholders bathe within the wealth created by my members. Unite helps, and can proceed to assist our members at Petrofac for so long as it takes for them to attain a decision.

 On behalf of the workforce, Unite’s John Boland stated: “Our members have confronted an actual phrases pay lower and an assault on their working phrases over years because of them taking Petrofac’s phrase that they’d do the proper factor. The employees concerned in these disputes are resolute of their dedication to proceed with ongoing motion till their claims are met. Petrofac cannot solely afford to pay up and settle this dispute, they need to accomplish that now so that staff on these installations can get on with the job.”