Labor-management conflict in the UK North Sea oil and gas sector has further intensified: approximately 170 Apache Energy employees have launched a new round of strikes, while Wood Group staff are staging separate industrial action on drilling platforms operated by Harbour Energy. Both strikes center on demands regarding pay and working conditions.
The UK trade union Unite stated that employees working for Apache began a 24-hour strike at 6:00 a.m. on November 4, with further strike actions planned across seven offshore installations later in November. The labor dispute involves electrical, mechanical, production, and instrumentation technicians, as well as telecommunications technicians and radio operators.
Based on their strike schedule, workers at the Forties Alpha, Forties Bravo, Forties Delta, and Beryl Bravo platforms plan to strike on January 13–14; workers at the Forties Charlie, Forties Echo, and Beryl Alpha platforms will follow with a strike on November 15–16.
Regarding this strike, the UK trade union Unite has criticized Apache, stating that the company’s proposed pay raise is below the inflation rate and that it has retained a “seven-day clawback policy”—a mechanism that forces employees to work longer hours without receiving overtime pay.
Apache has denied the allegations made by the UK trade union Unite, stating that the company’s pay proposal includes a 4% salary increase, and that the contentious work arrangements are part of existing contracts and already factored into employees’ base pay.
Apache emphasized that it will assess staffing levels during any subsequent industrial action; if safe operations cannot be maintained, the company will shut down its offshore facilities. During a previous round of strikes on October 21, Apache similarly shut down its North Sea facilities due to safety concerns.
In addition to Apache, Wood Group is also facing the threat of industrial action. Employees of the group began a 48-hour strike on November 3 at Harbour Energy’s North Sea operations. The strike stems from Wood Group’s decision to significantly cut the pay and benefits of dozens of employees—a move that includes issuing “fire and rehire” notices.
According to information released by the trade union Unite, this round of industrial action at Wood Group will affect five offshore installations: Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond, and North Everest. Further strike action is scheduled for November 17 and 18.
However, the Wood Group believes that this round of strikes will not significantly impact operations at the relevant offshore facilities. This is because only one employee—based at an asset owned by Harbour Energy—is participating in the strike; furthermore, this individual has accepted revised terms of employment that still provide compensation above the minimum standards stipulated by the Energy Services Agreement.
Nevertheless, the UK’s Unite union maintains that the strikes and the ongoing ban on overtime are affecting offshore operations, and has warned that further industrial action will be taken unless the dispute is resolved.