Monday 8 October 2007

Industry Seeks Certainty on Application of Working Time Offshore

The UK oil and gas industry will present its case over the coming weeks at the Aberdeen Employment Tribunal hearing on the application of working time offshore, which starts today (Monday, October 8, 2007). 

Commenting on the position taken by the industry, Chris Allen, a director at Oil & Gas UK, said: "It is time that everyone in the industry had certainty on this issue which deals with holiday entitlement and other matters.

"Everyone knows that offshore workers in the UK oil and gas industry enjoy above average employment terms and conditions, and typically have at least 26 weeks off a year.  We believe this amount of time off more than meets the legal amount of annual leave that employers must provide their employees which is four weeks.

"Unfortunately the way the legislation has been drafted for the offshore sector has allowed this view to be challenged and all sides now need complete clarity."

Chris Allen added: "It must be remembered that this dispute is about how many weeks holiday meet the minimum legal requirement.  It is not about the negotiation of improved employment terms and conditions which give employees more generous packages."

A detailed, written briefing is available at http://www.oilandgas.org.uk/media/mediaList.cfm?type=briefing

Sally Fraser

Oil & Gas UK Media Relations               

2nd Floor                                                          

232-242 Vauxhall Bridge Road   

London SW1V 1AU                                      

Tel:       020 7802 2404

Fax:      020 7802 2401

Email:   sfraser@oilandgasuk.co.uk

Pager :  07659 183 999

http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry.  Its members are companies licensed by the Government to explore for and produce oil and gas in UK waters and those who form any part of the industrys supply chain.  It has 64 members.
2. Offshore workers on typical rotas enjoy at least 26 weeks off work per year which is spent onshore. This provides enough time off to cover four weeks holiday, every weekend and Bank Holiday with more than seven weeks to spare.
3. Working Time Regulations Timeline:

• 16 May 2005: The first cases relating to offshore leave entitlement were brought before the Industrial Tribunal in Aberdeen.  The Tribunal Chairman announced that the issue of whether the working time regulations were applicable to the whole of the UK offshore needed to be clarified before the more substantive issue of leave entitlement could be determined. 
• 26 July 2005: The Tribunal Chairman ruled that the regulations were indeed intended to cover all of the offshore area, up to 200 miles.  
• 1 September 2005: An appeal on this ruling was lodged by North Sea employers.
• May 2006: The hearing at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Edinburgh was deferred, at the request of the unions, until October 2006.
• 1 October 2006: Amendments to the Working Time Regulations came into effect, confirming that the regulations are applicable to all UK offshore areas.
• 2-3 October 2006: Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing in Edinburgh.
• 29 November 2006: The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that the Working Time Regulations do extend to the whole of the UK continental shelf but not beyond.
• 4 January 2007: Employers announce decision not to proceed with a further appeal.
• 8 October 2007: Aberdeen Employment Tribunal hearing on the application of working time offshore begins.