Planned strike action by workers for Wood Group working on Shell platforms in the UK North Sea has been suspended to allow fresh talks to start.
Nearly 400 workers in the Unite and RMT unions have so far staged two walkouts, for 24 hours on 26 July, and 48 hours starting 4 August, over up to 30% pay cuts and changes to allowances. The action was the first in the UK North Sea in 28 years.
On Tuesday, the union confirmed dates for further strike action by members employed by Wood Group, starting on Monday 15 August.
However, today, Wood Group, Unite and the RMT jointly announced they would formally restart the talks process.
In a joint statement, they said: "Wood Group and the Unite and RMT unions can confirm we have agreed to restart the process for resolution of the current dispute. We will hold a number of full-day meetings over the next few weeks, starting early next week, to take a fresh look at the issues. All parties recognize that the challenges we are facing in the North Sea are both real and serious and there is acceptance that change is required and will happen.
"These fresh talks will allow all parties to bring ideas to the table and provide opportunities for employees in particular, along with unions and management, to contribute to a mutually successful outcome and demonstrate leadership in shaping the future of the North Sea. We believe that this collaborative approach to addressing the challenging and well-publicized situation in the oil & gas sector is the best way for us to resolve this current dispute and contribute to creating a sustainable model for the North Sea.
For these talks to be successful, it is essential to create a constructive environment in which they can take place. Wood Group has therefore agreed to stop the implementation of the current proposal for the duration of this fresh engagement and talks, and in response to this RMT and Unite have agreed to suspend any further strike action for the duration of this fresh engagement and talks."
The statement added: "During this period, and to facilitate open and honest discussions, neither Wood Group nor the unions will make any public statements in relation to this matter."
Oil major Shell also issued a statement saying: "We welcome this development and encourage Wood Group’s employees and management to continue their discussions in an effort to reach agreement.”
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