More than 300 UK offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell have backed strike action, UK trades union Unite has confirmed.
The pay dispute involves workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA).
Industrial action was backed by 95% of voters in a turnout of 86%, Companies have offered what they say is the equivalent of 5%.
The strike will involve a series of 48-hour stoppages every second week for eight weeks, with the first strike taking place over October 20th and 21st.
A further series of stoppages have been announced for November 3rd and 4th, November 17th and 18th, and December 15th-16th.
Should the dispute not be resolved, it could then escalate to all-out strike action, the union warned.
Platforms that will be impacted by the industrial action include BP Clair and Clair Ridge, as well as Equinor’s Mariner platform.
Unite members also supported action short of a strike. This could include an overtime ban from October 18th, limiting the working day to 12 hours; no extra cover provided during scheduled field breaks, and the withdrawal of goodwill pre and post-tour briefings preventing handovers between shifts.