More than 160 offshore workers employed by oil and gas operator Apache are scheduled to conduct a 24-hour strike starting Wednesday, October 21. The industrial action, organized by the Unite union, stems from a dispute over pay and is expected to affect seven platforms within the Forties and Beryl developments in the North Sea. The union stated that the work stoppage could potentially disrupt UK fuel supplies.
The strike involves workers across several trades, including production and telecommunications technicians. According to Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, the union is seeking an improved pay offer, citing Apache's status as a profitable global corporation. Industrial officer Stevie Davies stated that members have been offered what the union characterizes as a "real terms pay cut."
Apache has defended its proposal, describing it as a "fair" pay offer. The company stated the package includes a 4% salary increase for employees within the bargaining unit. A spokesperson for Apache noted that these employees are among the highest earners in the UK and work an average offshore rota of 153 days per year. The company maintains that contingency plans are in place to manage the disruption.
The scale of the impact centers on seven platforms and the Forties pipeline system. Unite has warned that the strike could lead to a "material disruption" in the pipeline, which could affect fuel supplies for consumers and other operators. However, Apache has stated that its contingency plans involve keeping experienced personnel on the Forties Charlie platform. The company estimates that even if production from all five Apache-operated Forties platforms were suspended, the resulting change in pipeline pressure would be no different than a routine maintenance outage.
Talks between the parties are scheduled to take place with the conciliation service Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) prior to the first work stoppage. If these negotiations do not result in an agreement, the first 24-hour strike will begin on Wednesday, October 21, followed by a second scheduled strike on November 4.