Thursday 27 September 2001

Offshore Industry Work Group to Consider Working Time Directive

Issued on behalf of

The Offshore Industry Working Time Directive Work Group

Organisations representing the UK oil and gas industry have formed a work group to consider how UK onshore Working Time Regulations might be applied to offshore workers from August 2003.

The discussions are taking place in advance of a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) consultative document in spring 2002 which will form the basis for the new regulations. The regulations will implement an amendment to the European Working Time Directive, which since October 1998 has regulated the working hours of millions of UK employees to a 48-hour week.

The amendment means that key sectors currently exempt from Working Time Regulations - including the UKs 23,000 offshore workers - will, from 1 August 2003, be included for the first time.

Seven industry bodies are involved in the discussions, which are being chaired by the Director of ACAS Scotland. These include the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) and the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) as well as organisations representing rig owners and drilling, well services, marine contracting and offshore catering businesses.

The seven unions affiliated to the TUC and who are members of the Inter-Union Offshore Oil Committee are also represented.

The group will meet regularly and will submit a joint report to Government next April summarising the key issues. This will allow the DTI, the Government department drafting the regulations, to take into account a diverse range of views before the new legislation is drawn up.

Note to Editors

1. Directive 2000/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 2000 was published in the Official Journal on 1 August 2000. It amends Directive 93/104/EC and concerns the organisation of working time in sectors excluded from the 1993 Directive, of which work offshore is one.

2. Involved in the industry/union talks regarding the implementation of the amending directive are:

* Members of the Inter-Union Offshore Oil Committee (IUOOC): MSF, GMB, TGWU, AEEU, BALPA, NUMAST, RMT and TUC.

* Trade Associations: UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), Offshore Contractors Association (OCA), UK Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA), Wells Services Contractors Association (WSCA), Catering Offshore Trade Association (COTA), International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), British Rig Owners Association (BROA), International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).

3. Key sectors currently exempt from the Working Time Regulations which will be covered by the amendment are, in addition to the offshore oil and gas industry, road and rail transport, civil aviation, sea farers, sea fishermen, inland waterway and lake transport, and junior doctors.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO ACAS SCOTLAND Frank Blair, Director, on Tel. 0141 242 1700