Shell's Change to UK Shifts Welcomed (Update)

Trade union Unite welcomed September 18 a decision by Shell's UK upstream business to move to two weeks offshore and three weeks onshore (2/3) rotas, following an extensive campaign by the union (see update in final para about the union's open letter to Total's CEO asking it to change shift patterns.)

Shell will return to a rota of 2/3 from May 2019 after a consultation engaging the workforce including Unite representatives. The agreement will include performance pay to offset reductions in any take home income as a result of the shift pattern change, the union said.

It said that a report by Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University had identified that workers on three weeks offshore, three weeks onshore (3/3) equal-time rotas were nearly twice as likely to experience ill health as those on two offshore/two onshore shifts. The 3/3 rota pattern is now estimated to be worked by 56% of the workforce offshore, compared with just 17% working the same pattern in 2007.

Unite is currently in dispute with Total over working at its Alwyn, Dunbar and Elgin gasfield platforms, with one of the main reasons being the company's attempts to introduce 3/3 rotas. The union said September 13 it would "postpone" its scheduled September 17, twelve-hour industrial action to allow its members to take part in a consultative ballot, after fresh proposals were tabled last week.

Unite has also raised a collective grievance with Petrofac over its operatorship of BP platforms and expects to do the same with other contractors.  (Banner photo: Shell's Gannet oil and gas platform; credit: Shell) 

Update Sept.19: Trade union Unite said that it sent an open letter to Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne asking him to intervene personally to end a protracted offshore UK industrial dispute. It follows a rejection by 95% of the Unite members working for Total offshore the UK rejecting Total's pay offer, which retained 3/3 rotas that remain at the centre of the dispute. The letter includes this sentence: "Your Total E&P UK subsidiary has decided to forcefully implement an equal time three and three rota against the wishes of everyone offshore and contrary to Total's own mission statement as a responsible employer."