Unite warns of risk of fuel disruptions in Britain due to strike — The Guardian
The Unite trade union said that a possible strike by workers at oil company Apache in the North Sea could seriously disrupt fuel supplies in the United Kingdom. According to The Guardian, industrial action could begin later this month and involve more than 160 offshore workers, including electrical specialists, production technicians and radio operators.
Pay dispute
Unite said that workers strongly backed strike action after pay negotiations broke down. In the union's view, the company's offer amounts to a real-terms pay cut for many employees when inflation is taken into account.
The union also claims that Apache set deadlines for reaching an agreement on backdated payments and indicated that workers may not receive these funds. Unite estimates that this could cost them thousands of pounds.
Apache said it had engaged constructively in negotiations and offered workers a 4% pay rise. The company noted that its offshore personnel are among the highest-paid workers in the United Kingdom, while the average offshore work schedule amounts to 153 working days per year.
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Risk to the Forties system
The strike could affect the Forties and Beryl fields. Unite said that one of the key platforms, Charlie, could shut down, potentially leading to the shutdown of the entire Forties pipeline system. According to the union, it transports almost one-third of the UK's oil and gas.
Apache stressed that it has a contingency plan in the event of a strike and does not expect it to affect the operations of other producers using the Forties system. The company plans to retain experienced personnel at key facilities and says that any possible reduction in pipeline pressure would be comparable to levels during planned maintenance shutdowns.
Apache's parent company, Texas-based APA Corporation, reported $1.4 billion in post-tax profit last year on revenue of $9.2 billion.
