Unions discuss oil workers’ rights
Five TUC-affiliated unions are meeting in London today to discuss a long-running dispute over paid holidays for oil workers operating in the North Sea.
The dispute arose after a number of employers resisted regulations introduced two years ago, which extended the Working Time Directive to the 17,000 workers based on rigs in the North Sea region.
The directive granted them four weeks’ paid holiday a year, but many employers were reluctant to adhere, claiming the workers’ right to paid leave was already covered by the almost industry-standard two-week on/two-week off working pattern.
It is feared that the issue could take years to resolve, leaving workers’ rights hanging in the balance.
At the meeting at the TUC’s headquarters, the five unions – AMICUS, GMB, NUMAST, RMT and the T&G – will discuss the best way to pursue cases through the courts, and are also likely to ask the government to put more pressure on employers.
