More than 450 offshore drilling and drilling maintenance workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA) have accepted an improved offer of 10% on their rates of pay back dated to June 1, 2022, Unite the union said Wednesday.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said: “By standing together, Unite's members covered by UKDCA have an improved offer that they are willing to accept.
"They showed collective strength and resilience to fight for better pay which they achieved so the planned strikes are now off. Unite is determined to achieve improved pay, terms, and conditions for our members and this shows their fight was worth it.”
Vic Fraser, Unite industrial officer, stated: “Unite members were determined to obtain an improved offer and stuck to their guns. During the first in a serious of planned 48 hour stoppages across the North Sea and following further discussions with the UKDCA and Acas an improved offer of 10% was tabled, this was put to our members who have accepted the offer.
"This demonstrates what can be achieved when meaningful negotiations take place and employers listen to what our members are collectively saying, it proves that collective bargaining works for all.”
Earlier this month, on October 5, Unite said that over 300 offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell had backed strike action, following Unite members rejecting a 5 per cent pay offer.
95 per cent supported strike action in a ballot turnout of 86 per cent. The strike action was to involve a series of 48-hour stoppages every second week for the first 8 weeks, starting October 20 and 21.
A further series of stoppages was to take place on 3-4 and 17-18 November, 1-2 and 15-16 December. Unite had further warned that the action could eventually escalate to all-out strike action.
Unite, which has accused oil and gas companies of ‘unfettered profiteering’, had said that a number of platforms would be impacted by the industrial action including BP Clair and Clair Ridge platforms, and also Equinor's Mariner platform causing major operational problems for oil and gas operators.