Workers at oil and gas terminal vote for strike action

Workers at the Sullom Voe Terminal in Shetland have voted in favour of strike action.

Unite the Union said 94% of those who took part in a ballot have “taken an emphatic stand” following a dispute with operator EnQuest over terms and conditions, including the pensions.

John Bolan, Unite’s regional industrial officer, described EnQuest proposals as “brutal” and said a series of strike action dates will be announced “imminently”.

Enquest took over the running of the oil and gas terminal from BP in December 2017.

A company spokeswoman said they had been notified of the results of the ballot and added: “Although disappointed with the results, we fully respect the outcome of the ballot and will be seeking further immediate dialogue to resolve this dispute without the need for industrial action.

“It remains the company’s preference that EnQuest and Unite find a mutually acceptable resolution to this dispute, but we are focussed on readying our business continuity provisions to minimise any potential disruption to our operations at Sullom Voe Terminal.”

The company added that its provisions include “using external service providers” and redeploying staff from other assets of the company, should industrial action take place.