25 October 2005
Today the largest offshore union, Amicus, condemned the massive profits being declared by major oil companies. This follows BP's announcement of £8.5 billion pounds profit in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 25 per cent on the same time last year.
Graham Tran, Amicus Regional Officer representing offshore workers, said: "It is clear that our continued pleas to the major oil companies like BP and Shell who are now raking in £30 m in profit every day to invest in the long-term future of the industry, including skills, have fallen on deaf ears. I suspect that this will be to the annoyance of the government."
Tran added: "This is the last chance for the major oil companies to wise up and get their act together before the pre-budget statement. I urge them to give implement a long term investment plan to tackle the skills shortage in the North Sea, to share their profits with the workforce by way of better salaries and to end their disgraceful stand off on the Working Time Directive and give offshore workers their entitlement of four weeks paid leave.
"I believe that failure to do so may force the Government's hand to address these issues in the pre-budget speech. I would say to the industry it's better to be in control of the change ahead of us rather than the change being in control of us."
