Industrial action at gas plant called off

Work on the new gas plant at Sullom Voe is progressing after today’s 24 hour strike was called off at the last minute.

Union members voted to cancel the industrial action to allow a re-ballot on the offer which was rejected only on Tuesday.

Workers had opted to walk out on three successive Fridays following a row about shared accommodation and travel allowances.

The change of heart came about at a mass meeting which was held on site yesterday afternoon.

Unite and GMB unions then withdrew their formal notification of today’s and next week’s strikes.

A Petrofac spokesman welcomed the news.

“We are pleased with this apparent change of heart. We were making preparations for the management of strike action, so anything that helps to avert that is obviously good news.

“Despite the fact that accommodation sharing has always been part of the employment deal, we put together a generous offer that was accepted by union officials and shop stewards that would have meant workers being eligible for up to an extra £5,500 on top of their salaries – so we hope that the membership will accept it this time.

“We’ve always said that we take the welfare of our staff very seriously and that we were keen to find a solution that was in everyone’s best interests while ensuring the successful delivery of the project.

“If we can reach agreement this final time we are happy to go forward on a ‘clean slate’ basis.

“If the offer is not accepted this time then it will be off the table permanently and we will have to look at other ways of addressing the root causes of the problem – room sharing and travel time.”