Responding to Shell's announcement of a further 475 job losses in the North Sea, Tommy Campbell, chair of the Offshore Coordinating Group (OCG) said,
"This is a devastating blow to the workers directly affected but continuing job losses also threaten the ongoing viability of the UKCS. It isn't feasible to maintain an effective strip safety regime while capacity is stripped from the basin. The ability of the industry to respond to a sustained upturn in the oil price is also jeopardised by the short term thinking Shell has again demonstrated today.
"The OCG once again calls on Government at all levels to organise an industry summit with unions, employers and regulators to discuss a more enlightened response to the current crisis in the North Sea"
ENDS
Notes
The OCG was recently established to coordinate trade union policy and campaigns in the oil and gas sector. The following unions are members of the OCG: Unite, RMT, GMB, BALPA and Nautilus International.
For further information contact
John Boland, Unite 07918630435
Jake Molloy, RMT and Vice Chair OCG 07711 359 705
