Unions back 'landmark deal' for offshore oil and gas workers

The establishment of a new collective agreement for thousands of engineering and maintenance workers in the North Sea has gained the support of industry.

A total of 13 major contractors from the offshore energy sector supply chain have confirmed they will sign up to the deal with the three trade unions involved - Unite, GMB and RMT.

Additionally, and for the first time in the sector, the agreement is being supported by the majority of operators across the sector.

In a joint statement, the trade unions said: “We will now consult with our members around the details and recommend that they support the agreement - the collaborative working of the trade unions and industry is an illustration of what is required to deliver a just and green recovery for workers and the UK energy supply chain."

The new Energy Services Agreement (ESA) "will go some way towards avoiding the boom and bust cycles which have caused extreme difficulties for workers and employers alike over the last decade", the unions continued.

Unite regional officer John Boland commented: “After a year of difficult negotiations in which Unite and the other offshore trade unions have done everything possible to get a new offshore collective agreement, talks have ended with an agreement we can recommend to members.”

The ESA will replace the Offshore Contractors Partnership Agreement (OCPA) that ended on 31 December 2020.

It has been supported by operators, Oil & Gas UK, Oil & Gas Authority, and both UK and Scottish Governments.

It will provide baseline terms and conditions for contractors in the offshore industry and provide greater security for the workforce.

GMB national officer Ross Murdoch said: “North Sea oil and gas is an iconic success story of Britain's success over the last 20 years, and we think this safeguards the industry’s future.

“It’s another great example where employers and workers work together to ensure an industry’s success - we’re going to our membership with a recommendation to accept this landmark deal.”

Source: Insider

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE.