Norwegian offshore drilling rig workers will strike from 21 June if their annual wage negotiations with employers do not reach a satisfactory conclusion, reported Reuters, citing oil and gas labour unions.
This development follows a breakdown in initial talks between the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and three labour unions.
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A total of 438 union members are prepared to take industrial action, including 175 from Styrke, the largest union, 193 from SAFE and 70 from the smaller DSO.
The wage discussions are set to resume on 20 June, with a state-appointed mediator’s assistance.
Styrke has indicated that a strike by its members would initially impact operations on Transocean’s Encourage rig and Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Bollsta, which are currently drilling wells for Equinor and OMV in the Norwegian Sea.
The rigs that will be affected by SAFE and DSO members remain unclear, reported the media outlet.
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By GlobalDataStyrke union leader Frode Alfheim said: “We have clear expectations of a good general wage increase.”
Equinor and OMV have not yet commented on the potential strike. Similarly, the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association has not responded to inquiries regarding the negotiations, it was reported.
The specific demands and wage proposals have not been made public, as they are typically confidential.
In March, Equinor initiated production at the Halten East development in the Norwegian Sea.
This move comes two years after approval by Norwegian authorities.
The development, situated in the Kristin-Åsgard region, includes six gas discoveries with options for three more, leveraging the Åsgard B infrastructure.
