More than 160 offshore rig workers are preparing to walk out across North Sea oil platforms in the coming weeks, signalling deepening conflict between trade unions and energy companies over pay and working conditions. According to The Guardian, Unite announced on Monday that workers would begin a 24-hour strike from Wednesday morning, with the potential to severely disrupt UK fuel supplies.
The industrial action reflects mounting grievances within the North Sea workforce as major oil operators reduce investment in UK assets and resist pay demands. A separate 48-hour walkout by Wood Group contractors at Harbour Energy platforms was already scheduled to start on Tuesday, while further stoppages are planned for the coming weeks if disputes remain unresolved.
Which platforms are affected?
Unite says the Apache walkout will affect seven installations: five Forties platforms and Beryl Alpha and Bravo, according to Argus Media. The five Apache oil platforms are linked to the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), which handles roughly 30% of the UK's oil production. Unite has warned that halting production could trigger a sharp pressure drop across the pipeline network and disrupt fuel supplies to the country.
The Wood Group strike involves workers contracted to Harbour Energy's Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond and North Everest platforms. Wood Group reported that only eight of the 150 employees at the affected Harbour installations participated in strike action earlier this month, and that previous action did not disrupt operations.
Why are workers striking?
Unite and workers have rejected Apache's pay offer, which Devdiscourse reported ranged from a pay freeze to below-inflation increases. The dispute had been threatened since September, according to industry sources. Workers at Wood Group face proposed cuts to pay and conditions, including the threat of fire-and-rehire notices, which Unite and the RMT union have opposed.
Apache said its offer provides a 4% pay increase for employees in the bargaining unit, whose earnings already rank among the highest in the UK and whose offshore rotation averages 153 working days annually. The company stated:
Our offer provides a 4% pay increase for employees in the bargaining unit, whose earnings already place them among the highest earners in the UK and whose offshore rota averages 153 working days a year.
What is driving the broader conflict?
North Sea oil companies have been on a collision course with trade unions in recent years as many reduce investments in their UK assets. Texas-based Apache plans to end all its North Sea operations by the end of 2029, blaming the
onerous financialimpact of the government's windfall tax, which means oil companies pay a total tax rate of 78% on their profits.
Harbour Energy, the UK's largest producer of North Sea oil, has similarly blamed the UK's tax regime for scaling back investment in UK waters. The company announced late last year that it would cut 100 offshore jobs, having reduced its workforce by approximately 600 since 2023.
The industrial action arrives ahead of the budget scheduled for 28 October and as the UK faces fresh concerns over its energy supplies this winter because of the global fuel crisis caused by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The government has previously rejected calls to increase North Sea oil and gas production, emphasizing the need to reduce fossil fuel dependence amid rising global market volatility and increasing import reliance.
How significant is the production at risk?
The Forties and Beryl fields produced just over 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, according to Argus Media. Unite notes that all Forties production passes through the Charlie platform and estimates that more than 80 offshore fields and the St Fergus gas plant feed into the Forties system, underscoring the interconnected nature of North Sea infrastructure.
Apache said it plans to keep experienced personnel on Forties Charlie to support third-party production during the strike. The company described any pressure reduction as comparable to a routine maintenance outage and stated that even if all five Apache platforms were unable to operate, it would not expect an impact on other oil companies using the Forties pipeline.
A spokesperson for Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos, the owner of the Forties pipeline, did not respond to a request for comment.
What happens next?
Trade union leaders were scheduled to continue pay talks with Apache through the Acas mediation service on Wednesday, 21 October. However, Unite expected the 24-hour strike to proceed at 6am that morning because, it said, the company had shown
no willingnessto resolve the dispute.
A further Apache 24-hour strike is scheduled for 4 November if the dispute remains unresolved. Additional Wood Group walkouts are planned for 20–21 October and 3–4 November, according to Unite and the RMT union.
Key Facts
- More than 160 offshore workers are striking across multiple North Sea platforms, with the first 24-hour action beginning on 21 October
- The Forties Pipeline System, which could be affected, handles approximately 30% of UK oil production and connects more than 80 offshore fields
- Apache plans to exit North Sea operations by the end of 2029, citing the 78% total tax rate imposed by the government's windfall tax
- Harbour Energy has cut its workforce by roughly 600 since 2023 and plans to reduce staffing by a further 100 offshore positions
- Further strikes are scheduled for early November if pay disputes with Apache and Wood Group remain unresolved
