North Sea strikes threaten UK fuel supplies, union warns

More than 160 offshore rig workers are set to walk out for 24 hours starting Wednesday, a move the Unite union says could “severely disrupt” UK fuel supplies. The action involves staff at five Apache oil platforms connected to the Forties Pipeline System, which handles around 30% of the country’s oil production. Unite says Apache has shown “no willingness” to resolve the dispute, and the strike is expected to begin at 6am.

Pay talks and wider industrial action

Trade union leaders are due to continue pay negotiations with Apache through the Acas mediation service on Wednesday. But the union remains unconvinced, and industrial action is already underway elsewhere. Workers contracted to Harbour Energy’s Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond and North Everest platforms have planned a 48-hour strike starting Tuesday. A third 48-hour stoppage is scheduled for 3 November, according to Unite and RMT.

Yet Wood Group, which employs the Harbour contractors, says only eight of 150 employees took part in earlier strike action this month and that operations were not disrupted. Meanwhile, Apache insists it can keep production going with experienced contractors. A spokesperson said the company’s pay offer includes a 4% increase for workers who are already among the UK’s highest earners, with an offshore rota averaging 153 working days a year.

Apache also says that even if all five platforms shut down, there should be no impact on other oil companies using the Forties pipeline. But Unite warns that a halt in production could cause a sharp drop in pressure across the pipeline system, disrupting fuel supplies. Ineos, the pipeline’s owner, did not respond to a request for comment.

North Sea oil firms have clashed with unions in recent years as many cut investment in UK assets, blaming energy policies and the tax regime. Apache plans to end all North Sea operations by the end of 2029, citing the “onerous financial” impact of the government’s windfall tax, which brings the total tax rate on profits to 78%. Harbour Energy, the UK’s biggest North Sea producer, has also scaled back investment and reduced its workforce by about 600 since 2023, including 100 offshore job cuts announced late last year. The strikes come ahead of the budget on 28 October and amid fresh concerns over energy supplies this winter, with global fuel markets already strained by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.