NO TO ‘FIRE AND RE-HIRE’ IN UK OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2021 :: RMTnews 7 T he union has seen a significant growth in members joining RMT working for Briggs Marine at Liverpool Port. Briggs Marine is a family owned and operated business which offers a wide range of services with experience in coastal, nearshore and offshore operations. Noting the maritime nature of the work that the company performs, the union initiated a campaign to target non- members and as a result has seen an increase of over 20 members in just under a month. In line with this increase in membership, a Schedule A1 trade union recognition request has now been sent to the company to secure a mutually beneficial agreement for Able Seamen, Coxswain and Senior Coxswain grades. R MT has been organising workers at Vattenfall Wind Power at Barrow-in-Furness to fight the threat of the ‘fire and re-hire’ of members. Vattenfall operate three offshore wind farms on the UK Continental Shelf and have development plans for new and extended wind farms which would add over 3.6GW generating capacity by 2030. Vattenfall’s UK subsidiaries are ultimately 100 per cent owned by the Swedish government. Following a recruitment campaign, a Schedule A1 trade union recognition request has now been sent to the company to secure a mutually beneficial agreement for grades such as Service Leader, Offshore Service Technician, Warehouse Co- Ordinator and Operational Planner/Service Leader grades. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that members were working hard during the pandemic to maintain and operate Vattenfall’s offshore wind farms, having delivered over £19million in profit in 2019. “Yet they are being threatened with fire and re-hire because they objected to the employer’s changes to terms and conditions, including cuts to annual leave. “There is no way that attacks like this would fly in Sweden, where trade unions have a seat on Vattenfall Group’s board and there is no way RMT will accept these outrageous threats. “We expect them to demonstrate their commitment to good industrial relations and employment practices in the UK offshore wind industry by taking the nuclear threat of fire and re-hire off the table and to get back around the negotiating table with RMT,” he said. U S oilfield equipment and service firm Weatherford dealt another painful blow to the Aberdeen oil industry last month by confirming plans to shut down its manufacturing facilities in the city. RMT regional organiser Jake Molloy also said that he was concerned that Weatherford’s move could “quite easily and quite quickly” be repeated by other companies without rapid action being taken. Jake, chairman of the Offshore Coordinating Group – a coalition of trade unions, described the announcement as “grim” and “a consequence of industry and government failings”. He said that companies have to keep investing and drilling during downturns so that the sector is well positioned to take advantage of the market picking up. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that because no cost efficiencies were made, mobile capital fled, talent stayed away and low cost overseas solutions were offered and accepted by corporate bodies of oil and gas companies based in London, Houston, and Beijing. “We need a different approach for the UK basin given its unique nature. Investment is needed during downturns with the drilling of new wells in readiness to bring in when commodity prices increase. “The industry should be investing in the Plug and Abandonment work by decommissioning the hundreds of redundant wells. The workforce is there and the equipment and day rates are at an affordable rate making it inexplicable that this isn’t happening. “The government and their regulators have all too quickly accepted the request for deferrals on development and decommissioning. This has the effect of directly conflicting with the UK Government’s stated position of “Maximising Economic Recovery” from the basin. “How can maximising economic recovery be realised if no work is being done and no one is employed? The government are paying out millions in furlough payments and benefits, when thousands could be working, paying tax and National Insurance and supporting the economy,” he said. WEATHERFORD TO CLOSE ABERDEEN MANUFACTURING FACILITIES NO TO ‘FIRE AND RE-HIRE’ IN UK OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY RECOGNITION DRIVE AT BRIGGS MARINE