Energy

Further joint meeting to take place on challenges and agreement in North Sea

Published

11 years ago

January 19, 2015

GMB, the union for workers employed by offshore contractors in the North Sea oil and gas industry, for engineering construction workers working onshore on North Sea related projects and for gas and energy workers, commented on the joint meeting on 16 January in Aberdeen of all parties involved in the offshore oil and gas industry including GMB and other unions (see below for comments by Oil and Gas UK).

John Kelly, GMB Scotland regional officer, said: "We had frank discussions today. We left the employers in no doubt that unilateral action to cut jobs was not acceptable. We did agree that it would be heplful to work with the employers jointly on fiscal and regulatory reform being sought from Government. We agreed to meet again next week to discuss the immediate and long term challenges we are facing on jobs and agreements."

Copy of statement by Oil & Gas UK 16 January 2015

Meeting with unions focuses on safeguarding North Sea’s future

Today's discussions with Union representatives were open and constructive. Oil & Gas UK talked about how best the industry could work with the Unions to protect the long term future of the North Sea and the steps that need to be taken to help it weather the current difficult business climate.

Oonagh Werngren, Oil & Gas UK’s operations director, said: "Oil & Gas UK listened to the Unions’ concerns in light of rising costs and declining production, exacerbated by the fall in oil prices.  "

The industry is working hard with Government on fiscal and regulatory reform to help safeguard the long term future of our industry. Oil & Gas UK and the Unions have today agreed to join together in calling for this much needed reform.
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"We also agreed to meet the Unions again as soon as possible for further discussion."