Industrial action moves a step closer at Sella Ness

Gas plant workers seeking a move away from shared accommodation at Sella Ness are a step closer to taking industrial action.

Union leaders say they have received correspondence from employers Petrofac stating that workers will not be compensated for having to share cabins.

An urgent meeting is being sought between union representatives and management.

However Unite’s regional industrial manager John Taylor expects a ballot to run which will gauge the appetite for a strike.

“We got a letter stating that they weren’t prepared to pay compensation for shared cabins.

“I’ll be writing back to them saying that we require a meeting as soon as possible and if we can’t resolve it we will start the process of balloting for industrial action.”

Tensions over the living arrange­ments came to a head last month when around 150 engineers refused to work any more than their contracted 38 hours as part of efforts to move away from shared rooms at the Sella Ness accommodation building.

Petrofac say the are keen to find a resolution to the dispute.

A spokesman said: “Petrofac remains very keen that everyone involved continues to work together effectively, and that any issues are resolved through the formal dispute resolution process.”