Wood Group workers to go ahead with second strike in North Sea

August 3, 2016

Next phase of strike action by Wood Group employees working on Shell’s North Sea platforms will go ahead on Thursday morning, August 4, 2016, after talks over pay cuts between the unions and management failed.

The North Sea platforms involved include the Brent Alpha, Bravo and Charlie platforms, Gannet, Nelson, Shearwater, and Curlew.

This next phase comes after a 24-hour work stoppage on Tuesday last week. UK’s offshore trade unions, Unite and RMT, subsequently 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 further48-hour strike action planned for this week.

The unions said on Wednesday that, following a continuing failure by the Wood Group to come up with any solutions in talks over pay reductions, proposed cuts and changes to working conditions on Shell’s North Sea oil and gas platforms, the next phase of industrial action scheduled to start in the morning goes ahead.

According to RMT, the company is proposing cuts to members’ pay which could amount to up to 22%, however, once reductions to allowances are factored in, the cut could be as much as 30%.

RMT stated that tomorrow, RMT and Unite activists – with support from across the trade union movement – will take part in two protests in support of the Wood Group/Shell workforce:

– 8am – Shell London headquarters on the Southbank – Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA – opposite Waterloo Station;

– 8am – Shell Manchester headquarters – Brabazon House, Concord Business Park, Threapwood Road, Manchester M22 0RR

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “After savage redundancies and attacks on workload and working conditions this group of offshore workers are now told that they are going to be railroaded into accepting pay cuts of up to 30%. Despite strenuous efforts by our negotiators in talks with the company we have so far been unable to make sufficient progress that addresses the concerns of the workforce.

Cash also added: “The unions remain available for serious and meaningful talks.”