Offshore oil worker strike to put fuel-deprived Britain at risk of 'severe disruption'

Offshore oil workers are considering a strike which could put Britons at risk of "severe disruption" as fuel prices continue to rise.

The Unite union said workers at oil and gas operator Apache have backed strike action in a pay dispute.

Unite said the strike could begin this month and would include seven Apache assets associated with the Forties and Beryl oil fields.

Apache said it did not think a strike would affect other producers' ability to continue operating through the Forties pipeline system.

It has also been suggested the pipeline is mostly used for exporting oil, meaning it would not impact UK consumers.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "We urge all parties to work together to resolve this issue without disruption.

"We have a diverse and resilient fuel supply. This is a crude oil pipeline and does not transport fuel."

Global fuel supplies have been disrupted because of the Iran war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Average diesel prices have rocketed in recent months because of the conflicts, topping £2 a litre for the first time.

Last week, leading G7 nations bowed to White House pressure and agreed to release 100 million barrels of fuel and oil from emergency stocks amid surging prices.

Mr Trump threatened to stop exporting US oil unless European countries released more of their own stocks into the global market.

At least one European diplomat likened the looming export ban to "blackmail" to Politico.

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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "We will not tolerate unacceptable pay offers and threats to withhold back pay from Apache.

"The operator is raking in eye-watering profits. It's treating its highly skilled workers with contempt. Apache has been caught red-handed in embarking on shameful corporate greed."

Unite industrial officer Stevie Davies said: "Unite's members are being left with no option but to take strike action. Any disruption to Apache’s platforms would have a direct hit on the Forties pipeline and potentially severely affecting the UK’s fuel supplies.

"The behaviour of Apache is reckless, and it could have far-reaching consequences for workers, operators and consumers."

The Forties oil field is the second-largest in the North Sea.

The Apache workers involved in the dispute include electrical, instrument, mechanical and production technicians alongside telecoms technicians and radio operators, Unite, the largest union in Britain, said.

A spokesman for Apache said: "A vote in favour of industrial action does not mean that action will automatically take place.

"Apache has engaged constructively throughout the pay discussions. We believe our final offer to the union is fair and recognises the contribution of our offshore workforce, alongside the wider benefits in our total rewards package."

The spokesman continued: "The proposed pay increase is also in line with that awarded to our non-unionised employees earlier this year.

"Our offer provides a four per cent pay increase for employees in the bargaining unit, whose earnings already place them among the highest earners in the UK and whose offshore rota averages 153 working days a year.

"Based on our current contingency plans, we do not anticipate that industrial action would affect other producers' ability to continue operating through the Forties pipeline system.

"Our plans include maintaining experienced personnel on Forties Charlie to operate the plant and support continued third-party production, even if production from all five Apache-operated Forties platforms were suspended.

"Any resulting reduction in pipeline pressure if Apache production was suspended would be comparable to that experienced during a routine maintenance outage.

"We respect the ballot result, but our preference remains to resolve this matter through constructive dialogue."