Around 50 offshore workers employed on the Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms in the UK North Sea have voted in favour of strike action, escalating a dispute over pay offers they have described as inadequate.
Around 50 offshore workers employed on the Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms in the UK North Sea have voted in favour of strike action, escalating a dispute over pay offers they have described as inadequate.
The workers, all members of the Unite union, include control room operators, production technicians and senior operators. They rejected pay proposals that fell below three per cent, prompting the union to schedule a sequence of 24-hour stoppages. The first walkouts are set to begin at 06:00 on 22 July and 29 July, with further single-day stoppages planned at the same time on 5, 12 and 19 August.
The platforms are operated by Neo Next + Energy, which has become the largest independent oil and gas producer in the North Sea following a merger between Neo Next and the UK upstream operations of TotalEnergies. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham argued that low pay offers from a financially strong energy company were unacceptable, while Unite Industrial Officer Stevie Davies accused the firm of showing contempt for its workforce. Davies said the company had a final opportunity to reach a settlement before industrial action proceeded, warning that members would otherwise press their claim through the planned stoppages.
The dispute forms part of a broader pattern of labour unrest across North Sea assets in recent months, with workers on other operators' platforms also balloting for or undertaking strike action amid tensions over pay and conditions during a period of industry consolidation.
For Malaysian and Southeast Asian maritime and oil and gas readers, the developments carry relevance on several fronts. Many regional service providers, crewing agencies and equipment suppliers maintain commercial links with North Sea operators and the majors reshaping their portfolios through mergers, and prolonged disruption could affect production schedules and contracting activity. The episode also underlines how workforce expectations around pay are hardening even as operators pursue cost discipline through consolidation, a dynamic increasingly visible in Asian offshore markets where crewing costs and retention remain pressing concerns. Regional operators watching the outcome may draw lessons on managing industrial relations as competition for skilled offshore personnel intensifies globally, particularly for control room and production roles central to safe platform operations.
This brief was written by the MarineCraft News Desk from the source’s reporting. Read the original coverage at the source.
Read the full story at Baird Maritime →Source: Baird Maritime
