More than 160 North Sea platform workers prepare to strike — The Guardian
In the United Kingdom, more than 160 workers on offshore oil platforms are set to begin a 24-hour strike on Wednesday. The Unite union said the action could “seriously disrupt” fuel supplies in the country, The Guardian reports.
Strikes on platforms
The strike will involve workers at five Apache platforms connected to the Forties Pipeline System. This system accounts for about 30% of oil production in the United Kingdom. Unite claims that a halt in production could significantly reduce pressure in the pipeline and cause disruptions to fuel supplies.
The union and Apache are due to continue pay talks through the Acas service on Wednesday. At the same time, Unite expects the strike to begin at 6:00, as it says the company has not shown willingness to settle the labor dispute.
Separately, workers at the service company Wood Group, who work under contract for Harbour Energy, have already scheduled a 48-hour strike starting on Tuesday. It concerns the Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond and North Everest platforms. According to Wood Group, only eight of the 150 workers at these facilities took part in a previous strike action at the beginning of the month, and the platforms’ operations were not disrupted.
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Companies’ position
Apache said it would bring in experienced contractors to continue production during the strike. The company also stated that even if all five platforms were not operating, it believes this would not affect the operations of other oil companies using the Forties pipeline.
The company offered workers covered by the talks a 4% pay rise. Apache also said their earnings are among the highest in the country, while the average offshore work schedule amounts to 153 working days per year.
Apache plans to cease all North Sea operations by the end of 2029, citing the financial impact of the windfall tax. According to the publication, the combined tax rate for oil companies is 78% of profits. A third 48-hour strike by Wood Group workers is scheduled for November 3, Unite and the RMT union said.
