UK Union Plans Shetland Plant Strike

The UK trade union Unite said March 12 that its members working at the Total-owned Shetland gas plant would start industrial action March 13, the first in a series of planned stoppages.

The dispute is linked to the industrial action March 11 involving Unite members working for Aker and Petrofac on the Total Alwyn, Dunbar and Elgin platforms, it said.

The French company said it would enforce the new shift rotation while also cutting the compensation. Aker started a 30-day  consultation period  after issuing redundancy notices.

Although members at the gas plant are in a similar dispute to the offshore platforms, Unite proposed a new offer on March 12 which Aker rejected. A series of 24-hour stoppages are scheduled between 00.01-00.00 on the following days at the Shetland Gas Plant: March 13, 27, April 10, 24 and May 8, Unite said.