DEALING WITH OFFSHORE FATIGUE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/august 2026 :: RMTnews 14 R MT’s offshore and energy conference meeting in Aberdeen called for shift patterns to be based on a 2 on/3 off rotation as it benefited the workforce and productivity levels. Delegate Ron Dickson said that delays getting to offshore installations were caused by adverse weather and other technical issues. “The average delay per person and travel roughly equates to an extra two to three weeks per year. “We are entitled to three weeks holiday per year which must be approved by employers who often denied due to operational reasons. “Some big oil companies keep on highlighting mental health issues and fatigue in the workplace, but surely these extended tours offshore contribute greatly to the mental wellbeing and health of the contractors in our sector. “How is it possible that workers in Norway receive an excellent 2/4 rotation and we work 3/3 whilst the value of their oil is the same as the UK sector. “Some smaller operators have already reverted to the 2 on/3 off rotation as it benefits the workforce and productivity levels, so others can follow suit,” he said. RMT national secretary Darren Procter said that employers should all have fatigue monitoring plans which included the impact of shift patterns. “We need to campaign around fatigue as a union on every level,” he said. Delegate Jake Malloy called on the union to challenge the imposition of the weight restriction proposed by Offshore Energy UK (OEUK), the employers’ association of the sector. He reported that former national executive member Mick Bainbridge who recently passed away had done a lot of work around the issue and found that it was being used as a way to get rid of workers. “The statistics used should include statistics around winch operations, instances involving weight problems and medical standards for offshore operations,” he said. Conference called for compensation to protect workers who failed to meet such medical standards. “This argument should be developed quickly given that the deadline for implementation of the OEUK change is November,” he said. Darren Procter said that the union would write directly to the OEUK regarding the the imposition of such a policy. “How is it possible to pass a medical then be told you cannot work offshore?” he said. RMT regional organiser Ann Joss called on offshore workers who had suffered discrimination because of their weight should let the union know. “This incoming weight limit is an arbitrary one without proof and can be challenged legally by the union,” she said. She also said that the issue of employers using Not Required Back (NRB) whereby workers are told there was no job for them and the issue of redundancies was also growing. “RMT has told employers that NRB methods and imposing redundancies on workers whose face does not fit was totally unacceptable. “We also have re-hire and fire methods being used with claims that workers are signing new contracts voluntarily which we know is rubbish,” she said. Delegate Scot Agnew called on the union to develop an energy policy that provided a path to a Just Transition along with genuine energy security. “We must use our seat on the North Sea Futures Board to avoid a Thatcher-style decimation of thousands of jobs when the Tories discarded the coal industry in pursuit of oil and gas. “A genuine Just Transition pathway will allow the union to work with other unions to pursue demands across the industry,” he said. RMT assistant national secretary Karlson Lingwood said that the key to building the union in the energy sector was organising at the workplace. “In that sense offshore workers are the experts when it comes to how to recruit and operate in their workplace “To do that effectively we need reps in place to reflect the aspirations of the workforce,” he said. Darren Procter paid tribute to Mick Bainbridge, who had recently deceased while on the NEC, for the work he carried out for the union and the offshore sector. “The best tribute we can make for Mick is to increase our presence in the offshore, energy and renewables sector. “To do that we must be clear about what RMT stands for and that means identifying key demands and increasing DEALING WITH OFFSHORE FATIGUE