Some 50 offshore workers on BP North Sea installations have come out in favour of a strike over pay and overtime rates, the union Unite said on Friday March 3rd.
Unite said that 96.97% of Unite members on the BP installations supported strike action in a ballot turnout of 78.57%. The union also said the GMB and RMT trade unions were also balloting their members who work on the BP installations.
The strike will involve members of Unite who work on BP’s Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, Glen Lyon and Mungo installations in the North Sea. Unite said that the employees would be holding a series of 24 and 48-hour stoppages.
Victor Fraser, regional officer at Unite, told Reuters that “members want overtime to be paid at a premium rate of time and a half”.
He said that hours over and above the normal 12-hour shift or days worked in addition to the current three week trip are currently paid at single time.