UK Union Ballots on Upstream Strike

GMB, a UK trade union for offshore workers, has begun a month-long industrial action ballot of members working under the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) national agreement, it said October 2. 

The industrial action ballot has come at the end of a lengthy process and set of pay negotiations, which has seen two offers rejected by members, it said. Negotiations with the OCA have been ongoing since January this year.

GMB members are seeking a 4% uplift in basic pay and associated allowances. They will be balloted on whether they wish to support industrial strike action and action short of strike action. If there is a vote in favour of either or both questions, industrial action would take place from November 2018.

GMB said it regretted the need for this but "our members have more than played their part in ensuring OCA employers achieve very healthy profits – they fully deserve what is effectively a cost of living increase. The door is still open for OCA employers to return to the bargaining table with an improved offer to avert what could potentially be costly disruption in terms of both cost and reputation."

Only last week another trade union Unite settled a pay and rostering dispute with Total that had led to nearly two months of fortnightly stoppages at Total's Alwyn, Dunbar and Elgin gas platforms.