The long running industrial dispute between unionised North Sea oil workers and their employers over changes to shift working has ended. In response to a down turn in the price of oil, the members of the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) unilaterally imposed a change from a working pattern of two weeks offshore/two weeks onshore to three weeks offshore/three weeks onshore in early 2015. This meant cuts to pay and holiday entitlement.
Unions protest new working time arrangements. Members of the two unions, GMB and Unite, protested against the change, organising ballots of industrial action. The threat of industrial action (including strike action) by both unions led to prolonged negotiations with the OCA. The GMB union settled its dispute last August while Unite settled its dispute this January. The dispute was prolonged by some OCA employers imposing cuts to jobs and terms and conditions without consultation (including pay
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