A new report released today has revealed that North Sea oil and gas workers believe that they have little or no protection from losing their jobs following the collapse in wages and working conditions blamed on the current downturn. Many feel the unions representing them have failed to stand up to the big companies

Oilandgaspeople.com, the oil industry’s largest oil and gas jobs portal, surveyed more than 1000 oil and gas industry workers. The survey, carried out ahead of a strike ballet, revealed that 75% of the industry participants don’t believe unions are doing enough to protect workers pay or conditions in the current downturn.

The majority of the UK North Sea oil and gas workers said they are against strike action, but feel their counterparts in Norway, The Netherlands and other European countries have better protection of their rights and aren’t suffering as much as the UK Sector.

38% of those surveyed within the UK North Sea sector felt the only way to make their voices heard and protect their rights would be to strike.

At least 75% of the participants felt the Unions do not do enough to protect jobs or workers’ rights, as oil and gas companies cut employment level, salaries, benefits and conditions.

A significant majority wanted to see improved representation rather than an end to it. 80% of oil and gas workers say that the industry now needs a new independent organisation to be set up to represent oil and gas workers interests.

Many respondents claimed to have seen improvements as a result of union representation, citing the following examples as evidence from the last 20 years:

• Improved health and safety
• Consolidating working hours directives and HSE requirements
• Ensure reasonable working conditions
• Help getting offshore workers decent hours and holiday
• OILC improved safety after Piper Alpha
• Help in disciplinary cases
• Increased diving personal pay and improved diving health and safety

Those who felt the unions hadn’t protected North Sea oil and gas workers’ rights and conditions enough, cited the following reasons:

• Allowing pay to be cut rather than negotiate for a shorter week
• Allowing companies to force 20% day rate cut with no consultation
• Unions have failed because UK workers don’t have the same rights and health and safety as Norwegian workers
• Unions didn’t stop rotations changing from 2/3 to 3/3, which is a major blow to the industry

Kevin Forbes, CEO of oilandgaspeople.com, commented:

“With the current downturn in the North Sea Oil and Gas industry affecting workers’ pay and conditions, many now feel that the unions aren’t able to represent their interests.

“Whether this is because they feel companies are too powerful or because the present economic conditions are too severe, many are feeling they have little protection from losing their jobs or seeing their wages cut.

“Many workers are also looking across the North Sea and believe Norwegian, Dutch and Danish oil and gas workers have better pay, better protection and higher levels of health and safety. This seems to be fuelling a sense of dissatisfaction with their current levels of representation.

“Many believe that the Unions now have little impact and as a result the majority of North Sea oil and gas workers would now like to see an independent body set up that has a specialist knowledge and understanding of the industry.”

It was announced on Friday 22nd May that Norwegian oil and gas workers are set to ballot on strike action also showing a clear dissatisfaction within the North Sea industry as a whole despite the fact many believe they have significantly better conditions than their UK counterparts.

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