Wood Group’s offshore workers on seven Shell’s North Sea platforms kicked off a 48-hour strike on Thursday morning after talks over pay cuts between the unions and management failed.
This is a second strike action by Wood Group’s workers working on Shell’s platforms.
The North Sea platforms involved include the Brent Alpha, Bravo and Charlie platforms, Gannet, Nelson, Shearwater, and Curlew.
The first one was a 24-hour work stoppage on Tuesday last week in which around 400 members of RMT and Unite unions participated. After the first strike action, UK’s offshore trade unions, Unite and RMT, issued a fresh call to Wood Group to drop its cuts to pay and allowances and hold further talks to resolve the dispute ahead of today’s 48-hour strike.
However, the unions said on Wednesday , August 3 that the talks failed to come up with any solutions over pay reductions, proposed cuts and changes to working conditions on Shell’s North Sea oil and gas platforms and confirmed today’s strike action.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “The action on the Wood Group Shell assets is solid as a rock again this morning.”
“The unions remain available for serious and meaningful talks,” Cash added.
Unite said on Thursday that, in last-minute meetings this week, unions had offered to suspend the strike if the company agreed to remove their current proposal in full to allow for further consultation and negotiation but the company refused.
Unite regional officer John Boland said: “We are extremely disappointed that Wood Group has decided to continue its attack on the pay and allowances of offshore workers. We repeat our call for proper consultation and negotiation.
“Industrial action is always a last resort and throughout this dispute we have constructively sought to find a resolution. We need to look forward and work towards a sustainable solution.
Offshore Energy Today Staff