Petrofac offshore staff start newest spherical of strike motion on Repsol Montrose and BP platforms

North Sea oil rig staff represented by Unite are strolling out in a dispute over pay till December 31.

Petrofac staff on Repsol’s Montrose platform started hanging on Thursday, December 29 following “a collection of unacceptable pay presents”.

The commercial motion follows a 24-hour strike by staff on December 22, involving platforms Arbroath, Auk, Bleo Holm, Claymore, Clyde, Fulmar Alpha, Piper Bravo, Saltire, Tartan Alpha, and the Flotta oil terminal.

Sharon Graham, the union’s basic secretary, beforehand mentioned 170 staff had been concerned.

She added: “Unite’s members are watching offshore oil and fuel giants mount up eye-watering income.

“As an alternative of paying the workforce what they deserve as a result of they’re those finally producing these income, Petrofac Repsol are revelling in enjoying Scrooge.”

Unite mentioned the dispute centres on the “elimination of a ten% equal time fee, years of under inflationary pay will increase, in addition to points round funds for Offshore Energies UK medicals, mileage and stand-in duties”.

Employees rejected the newest pay provide from the corporate by 79%, on an 89% turnout.

As a part of a separate dispute, Petrofac staff at BP installations Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and Glen Lyon floating manufacturing, storage and offloading facility, will start a 48-hour strike on December 29 to 31.

The union, the nation’s largest, mentioned the Petrofac BP dispute centres on working rotation patterns and includes 76 of its members.

John Boland, Unite industrial officer, beforehand mentioned Petrofac staff had been left with “no alternative however to take additional strike motion as a result of indifference and intransigence proven by Petrofac administration”.

He added: “A number of rounds of 48-hour strike motion will now happen following our members rejecting a contemporary pay provide which represents an actual phrases pay minimize.

“The Petrofac staff are completely decided to proceed with strike motion as a result of the corporate can simply afford to settle this dispute.

“We might encourage them as soon as once more to take action and permit these staff to get again on with the job.”

The union warned strike motion on the amenities is “prone to trigger appreciable disruption”, and it warned “additional motion is being actively thought-about which might lengthen the dispute into 2023”.

Petrofac and BP have been contacted for remark.