North Sea strikes could severely disrupt UK fuel supplies, union warns

More than 160 offshore rig workers are preparing to strike at oil rigs across the North Sea in response to rising tensions between trade unions and oil companies. The Unite union announced on Monday that these workers would participate in a 24-hour strike starting from Wednesday, which could potentially "severely disrupt" UK fuel supplies.

A 48-hour strike was already scheduled to begin on Tuesday by workers at Wood Group, contracted to Harbour Energy’s Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond, and North Everest platforms. Trade union leaders are set to continue pay negotiations with Apache Energy through the Acas mediation service on Wednesday. However, Unite anticipates that the 24-hour strike will commence at 6 AM that morning due to the company's lack of willingness to resolve the ongoing dispute.

The strike will involve workers from five Apache oil platforms linked to the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), which accounts for approximately 30% of the UK’s oil production. Unite has warned that a halt in production could lead to a significant drop in pressure across the pipeline system, thereby disrupting UK fuel supplies.