Striking workers stage second walk out at Sullom Voe in pay row

 WORKERS employed by oil industry service company Altrad at Sullom Voe Terminal are staging a second 24-hour walk out in a dispute over pay.

Around 60 contractors including insulators, painters, scaffolders and supervision staff have rejected two on-off payments instead of a permanent pay rise.

Altrad is blaming the terminal’s operator EnQuest for cost pressures resulting in its refusal to offer a fully consolidated increase just as the broader cost of inflation has hit 4.3 per cent in October, the union Unite said.

Members at the picket line outside the terminal on Monday morning said there had been no movement on either side of the dispute since their last one-day strike two weeks ago.

The industrial action by the Unite members is understood to have some impact on the operation of the terminal.

The union’s industrial officer Vic Fraser said: “Altrad workers at Sullom Voe deserve a fair pay deal but they are being forced into taking strike action.

“Altrad can make an improved pay offer today and help bring an end to the disruption.

“If Altrad refuses to then our members will be left with no choice but to step up strike action at one of Scotland’s key oil and gas terminals.

“Strikes will cause significant disruption to operations at the terminal, and the blame for this will lie entirely with Altrad.”

Staff picketing this morning confirmed that further strike action will take place on 12 and 26 January if there is no resolution to the dispute.

EnQuest and Altrad were both contacted for comment.

EnQuest said this afternoon that they would not provide a comment while Altrad has far not responded.