Members of Unite the union will take part in industrial action starting today 16 November with a continuous overtime ban and 48 hour stoppage taking place on16 and 17 November. A further 48 hour stoppage will take place on 30 November and 1 December. This action will cause significant disruption to the maintenance and safe running of the platforms/terminal.

Around 146 members are involved in this dispute which centres on the removal of a 10% Equal Time payment, a continuous below inflationary increase of 3% cost of living increase for years, payment for OEUK medicals, increase in mileage payments and stand in duties payment.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Unite’s members at Petrofac’s Repsol assets have had enough. This organisation fails to realise that our members are resolute and determined to make sure the promise made back in 2020 to review the pay and benefits is fulfilled and will continue with action until it is. Unite is 100 per cent with our Petrofac workers in seeking their demands for improvements on pay and benefits.

The dispute centres on Petrofac management reneging on a commitment to review benefits back in 2020 when the offshore contractor blamed cuts on the downturn in oil and gas prices. At that time the average price of a barrel of Brent crude oil (in U.S. dollars per barrel) was around $18, it now stands at around  $98.

Unite has demanded that the 10% wage cut be reversed, with pay increases reflecting inflationary costs and that the company fulfils its obligation to review the other payments.

Unite regional officer John Boland said:

“The anger that my members have at being betrayed on a commitment made and accepted in good faith, is palpable. Petrofac should understand that their failure to be reasonable and fair with the workforce on an ongoing basis, continually leads to my members resorting to industrial action when they just want to get on with the job.

“Unite’s members are due a decent pay rise after years of below inflation increases and they accepted the word of their employer that they would uphold a commitment to do just that. However Petrofac have shown their true colours and broken their word and my members will no longer accept jam tomorrow.