Offshore trade unions have teamed up to form a co-ordinated "fightback" against cuts and changes effecting workers in the UK's oil industry.
The newly formed Offshore Co-ordinating Group (OCG) has representatives from Units, the RMT, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) the GMB, Nautilus and the Scottish Trade Union Congress.
By working together unions in the sector will be better able to face the challenges bought by the fall in oil price and will be able to work on imaginative ways of reducing the negative impacts, drive up standards and act as a voice of those feeling the brunt of the downturn.
BALPA General secretary Jim McAuslan said: “The contraction in the North Sea is being felt widely, not least amongst helicopter pilots who’ve already seen the loss of nearly 100 jobs – each one a personal tragedy
"There are firm reasons to believe the North Sea has a positive future ahead, and it is vital that we don’t lose more of the skills that make the industry work.
"We want to expose the risks at the heart of the oil companies' constant salami slicing of contract prices. The launch of OGC is an attempt to gain the attention of regulators, politicians and oil companies and persuade them that whilst all eyes are on the economic impact of the oil price collapse, there is a more corrosive effect on attitudes to safety."
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